Boskenwyn Community Primary School

Boskenwyn Community Primary School Inspection report

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111826 Unique Reference Number Cornwall Local Authority 310696 Inspection number 23 October 2007 Inspection date Ian Hancock Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 35 School The governing body Appropriate authority Izzie Maitland Chair Drew Corser Headteacher 11 November 2002 Date of previous school inspection Boskenwyn School address near Gweek Helston TR13 0NG 01326 572618 Telephone number 01326 572618 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 23 October 2007 Inspection date 310696 Inspection number .

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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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Boskenwyn Community Primary School is much smaller that the average primary school, and serves the village community and surrounding areas. The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. A high proportion of pupils have a statement of special educational need compared with the national average and the proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school during the school year is higher than in most schools.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Boskenwyn Community Primary School, 23 October 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where pupils achieve well and their personal development is a major strength. Staff appreciate and value each pupil, and this helps them develop into kind, polite, caring and co-operative individuals. Consequently, the school is a happy and harmonious community where pupils thoroughly enjoy their education and get on well together. The school's success is quickly sensed by visitors, who are met by enthusiastic pupils who are eager to talk about their experiences. In these circumstances, it is not surprising that pupils do well. The provision in the Foundation Stage is good. Children achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development as well as early language and mathematical skills. Standards are above average in Years 1 and 2 and well above average at the end of Year 6, reflecting pupils' good achievement from broadly average starting points on entry to the school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils do well in English, mathematics, science and physical education. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school and pupils benefit from a good and extensive curriculum that provides them with a rich range of worthwhile learning opportunities. Teachers' enthusiasm and professionalism shine through in lessons. They match tasks accurately to the needs of all pupils including those with learning difficulties, and have the knack of making learning interesting. Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding and stem from the supporting relationships that exist across the school. Pupils have positive attitudes, their behaviour is good and they know how to keep safe. The quality of care, guidance and support is good where everyone feels valued. Pupils' academic progress is carefully tracked but pupils are not always given clear guidance on how to improve their work. Good leadership and management are at the heart of the school's success. The strong caring

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Grade: 2

leadership of the headteacher is held in high regard by parents. They comment, for example, 'All the teachers are wonderful, especially the headteacher who is exceptional.' Self-evaluation procedures ensure the school has an accurate view of its strengths and areas for development. However, formal monitoring opportunities are limited and plans for improvement are not focused well enough to indicate how they will improve standards. Subject leaders make a valuable contribution to pupils' achievement but governors do not systematically check how well the school is doing to make sure it continues to improve. The school has made good progress since its last inspection and the determination and high expectation of staff mean it is well placed to get even better.

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Grade: 2

The children in the Foundation Stage receive good teaching and support. As a result they achieve well. Attainment on entry is broadly average and most children reach the expected levels when they enter Year 1 and a few children exceed these levels. A good range of adult directed activities promotes children's good learning in the academic aspects of the curriculum. The outdoor area, which is soon to be enhanced with a new log cabin, is used well to develop initiative, self-organisation and independence through self-directed play. Consequently, children behave well and enjoy their learning. Parents are very pleased with how quickly they settle into school. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Boskenwyn Community Primary School, 23 October 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure plans for improvement focus more precisely on where and how standards can be raised further. ■ Develop the roles and confidence of the governors to make them more effective in the running and monitoring of the school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement in Years 1 and 2 is good. In 2007 standards at the end of Year 2 were average in writing but above average in reading and mathematics. The school has introduced new initiatives to improve pupils' writing but has not identified clearly enough in its improvement plan how the effectiveness of these initiatives is to be evaluated. As pupils move through the school their good progress continues and all groups of pupils achieve very well by the end of Year 6. In the 2006 national tests standards were well above average in English, mathematics and science and this trend continued in 2007. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including vulnerable pupils, achieve well because their needs have been identified early and targets in their individual education plans are relevant to specific needs. Throughout the school pupils achieve well in sporting activities, particularly swimming.

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Grade: 1

The school is outstandingly successful in creating well balanced, confident individuals who enjoy their lessons. 'Teachers make learning fun and lessons are interesting` said one girl `and I enjoy working with my friends.' One parent commented, 'The only problem I have with the school is that my son doesn't want to leave at home time.' Pupils welcome challenge and work with great concentration and enthusiasm. The school has worked very effectively to significantly improve attendance during the last year, which now compares favourably with the national average. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and relationships are strong. Attitudes and behaviour in and out of the classroom are extremely positive. Older pupils are caring and thoughtful towards younger ones and model good behaviour through the 'chum scheme'. Pupils have an outstanding knowledge about how to stay safe and keep themselves

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Grade: 1

healthy. They really appreciate the very good opportunities to develop physically, which encourage them to learn how to keep themselves fit and healthy. Pupils take responsibility eagerly and respond well to challenge such as collecting money at the weekly Boskenwyn bank and purchasing food for the school camp. The members of the school council feel valued and are proud to talk about their manifestos for election and their recent achievements such as purchasing a new water cooler. Pupils make positive contributions to the community such as participating in performances in the village hall. Older pupils are developing good interpersonal skills. They co-operate well with each other. This adds to their good basic skills, which prepare them well for the future. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Boskenwyn Community Primary School, 23 October 2007

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has fostered a good sense of teamwork among the staff and this has ensured that teachers and teaching assistants work well together for the benefit of all the pupils. Relationships are of a high quality and secure good discipline, which contributes to a positive climate for learning. Basic skills are taught well. From the time children enter school great emphasis is placed on giving first hand experiences and enabling pupils to learn in a wide variety of ways, including good use of the local environment and wild area by the school field. This is highly successful in motivating all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, to achieve well. Teachers use their knowledge of how well the pupils are doing to plan effective activities and ensure that pupils are clear about what they are about to learn at the start of lessons. The ends of lessons are used successfully to help pupils check on their own

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Grade: 2

learning. Although pupils' work is marked thoroughly it does not always help pupils know what they need to do to make their work even better.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is effective. It is adapted well to meet the specific needs of all pupils despite the fact that the accommodation restricts certain activities such as gymnastics as there is no school hall. The curriculum is significantly enriched by additional activities including regular physical opportunities such as sailing and swimming. Teachers bring learning alive with numerous trips and visitors such as teachers for fencing and break dancing. High emphasis is placed on developing skills in English, mathematics and science but the curriculum is broad and includes good opportunities to learn French, German and Spanish. Pupils are proud of their newly acquired skills and delight in sharing this knowledge with visitors. The school pays good attention to developing pupils' personal, social and health education and the understanding of how to develop safe and healthy lifestyles.

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Grade: 2

The staff and governors work very effectively to ensure pupils work in safe and secure surroundings. Care is evident in the effective routines and practices to ensure pupils' health and safety. Parents are confident that children are safe and well cared for in school. One parent commented, 'Boskenwyn has welcomed and loved my children from the start. The staff have been fantastic, able to sort problems out with nothing ever being too much trouble.' Pupils, including those who join part-way through the school year, feel accepted and secure. The school welcomes and effectively supports vulnerable pupils and those with learning or additional difficulties. It works effectively with outside agencies and good support is provided to ensure pupils' specific needs are met. Staff and pupils are sensitive to their needs and these pupils are not made to feel any different from their classmates. The systems for tracking pupils' progress

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Grade: 2

in English and mathematics are good and continuing to develop; pupils are becoming more involved in setting their own targets. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Boskenwyn Community Primary School, 23 October 2007

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Grade: 2

The headteacher sets the tone for the caring manner that filters through the school. His determination that all pupils will develop as confident learners is shared successfully with all staff, pupils and parents. The significant improvement in pupils' attendance is testimony to the successful work of the school's leadership. Subject leaders in English, mathematics and science are committed to helping the headteacher to raise academic and personal standards. As a result, they support the headteacher effectively and make a good contribution to the strong sense of purpose in the school. They are effective in helping to develop a climate where pupils, whatever their backgrounds or ability, can thrive. Self-evaluation effectively identifies priorities for improvement but the headteacher's teaching commitment leaves little time for formal monitoring. As a consequence, monitoring is not yet sufficiently effective in directing

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Grade: 2

the school's plan for raising standards. The governing body is supportive and governors often give time freely to the school. However, their role is somewhat limited because they do not have the confidence to question and challenge the work in the school. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Boskenwyn Community Primary School, 23 October 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Boskenwyn Community Primary School, 23 October 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Boskenwyn Community Primary School, 23 October 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Boskenwyn Community Primary School, 23 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

24 October 2007 Dear Pupils Boskenwyn Community Primary School, Helston, Cornwall TR13 0NG Thank you very much for making me so welcome when I came to visit you recently. I had a lovely time and really enjoyed looking at your work and talking to you. I was impressed with how polite and friendly you all were. You are right to be proud of your school, as it is a good school. What I particularly liked about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Most of you behave very well, work hard and make good progress.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have an outstanding knowledge of staying healthy by eating healthy food and enjoying regular exercise. ■ Your headteacher and staff provide interesting lessons and activities that help you enjoy school and do well in your work. ■ You are well looked after, and that helps to make you feel safe and happy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You get on well together, show respect to everyone and know how important it is to look after others. ■ There are plenty of things to do outside lessons, and many of you join in these activities.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

These are some things the school could do to improve:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that all plans to improve the school are linked to raising standards in your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Encourage your governors to become more involved in understanding how the school works and how well you are doing in your work. Best wishes for the future. Ian Hancock Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Boskenwyn Community Primary School, 23 October 2007

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Annex B

Boskenwyn Community Primary School, Helston, Cornwall TR13 0NG

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Annex B

Thank you very much for making me so welcome when I came to visit you recently. I had a lovely time and really enjoyed looking at your work and talking to you. I was impressed with how polite and friendly you all were. You are right to be proud of your school, as it is a good school.

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Annex B

What I particularly liked about your school:

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Annex B

• Most of you behave very well, work hard and make good progress. • You have an outstanding knowledge of staying healthy by eating healthy food and enjoying regular exercise. • Your headteacher and staff provide interesting lessons and activities that help you enjoy school and do well in your work. • You are well looked after, and that helps to make you feel safe and happy. • You get on well together, show respect to everyone and know how important it is to look after others. • There are plenty of things to do outside lessons, and many of you join in these activities.

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Annex B

These are some things the school could do to improve:

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Annex B

• Make sure that all plans to improve the school are linked to raising standards in your work. • Encourage your governors to become more involved in understanding how the school works and how well you are doing in your work.

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