Delabole Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that senior and middle leaders’ checks on teaching and learning improve progress for the most able pupils.
• Strengthen teaching and learning by:
  • ensuring that teaching provides a high level of challenge, especially for the most able pupils
  • ensuring that teachers use highly effective questioning, especially in mathematics, to deepen pupils’ learning
  • embedding reasoning and problem solving in mathematics, so that pupils make strong progress in every year group.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The board of trustees, together with the executive headteacher and governors, have created a culture of high ambition and aspiration for pupils and staff alike. All parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, said that the school is well led and managed.
• The executive headteacher is the driving force behind a cohesive staff team who demonstrate a collective passion and determination to move the school forward for the benefit of the pupils. All staff agree that the school has made progress under the current leadership and that they are proud to be a staff member. Leaders set high expectations of pupils and staff. They lead by example to create a culture of respect and tolerance.
• The executive headteacher’s evaluation of the school is accurate. Objectives, for example the development of keen, aspirational learners, are highly appropriate and the impact on current pupils is evident.
• Membership of the Creative Learning Multi-Academy Trust provides opportunities for effective staff development. As a result, enthusiastic subject leaders are keen to succeed and learn from each other in different settings. This is an emerging strength of the school as it drives improvement. For example, the professional development of the mathematics leader provides new ideas and resources for building confidence in children working with numbers in the early years.
• Staff are aware of the need to prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. Older pupils can discuss the major world religions they have studied. Pupils demonstrate their understanding of fundamental British values, such as tolerance of others, when they discuss people of different race or faith. School visits to Bristol and London support the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.
• The school’s enquiry-based curriculum is inspirational for pupils. The intent of the curriculum reflects the core values of the school. Learning is stimulating and varied, memorable and meaningful. Younger pupils developed their vocabulary in a writing lesson as they reflected on a recent visit to a National Trust property. Older pupils were engrossed in an assembly led by the headteacher, where discussion on resilience, curiosity and risk-taking reinforced what it is to be an effective learner.
• The focus on core skills is balanced with a wide range of subjects and experiences, where opportunities exist for pupils to apply their developing literacy and numeracy skills. The school provides a physical education (PE) and sport curriculum which is well led and maximises use of the additional funding schools receive for PE and sport. Pupils discuss with pride their involvement in festivals and events such as swimming, football, netball, hockey and cross-country running.
• The school’s assessment approach ensures that all pupils, including key groups of pupils, are monitored carefully. However, senior and middle leaders do not yet ensure that checks on teaching and learning bring about consistent progress for the most able pupils.

Governance of the school

• The board of trustees, with the support of the local governing body, provides both challenge and support to the executive headteacher. Regular reports ensure that governors have an accurate picture of the quality of education at the school.
• Governors monitor the spending of the pupil premium and the physical education and sport premium to ensure that pupils’ achievement improves.
• Governors recognised the need for significant physical changes to the school premises. They have created a suitable learning environment within which pupils can thrive.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Frequent reports from the local governing body highlight pupils’ safety as an ongoing priority.
• Pupils are safe and can articulate how the school supports them to stay safe online.
• All parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, said that they felt that their children are safe in school.
• Staff know the pupils well and vulnerable pupils are carefully monitored.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers use time in lessons productively. They reinforce high expectations. The core subjects of English and mathematics are taught well.
• Leaders and staff have skilfully woven language for learning into the curriculum. As a result, pupils are active learners with aspirations to be successful and improve their work.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported by teachers and teaching assistants, who help them to engage in learning alongside their peers.
• Staff are proactive in developing children’s love of reading. Teachers seek to enrich pupils’ vocabulary and parents are encouraged to be part of the learning journey, joining pupils for ‘Book Snuggle’ evenings and performances such as ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
• The teaching of mathematics is effective and pupils make good progress. The culture of learning from mistakes is evident. However, the most able pupils in mathematics sometimes find work too easy. Teachers’ questioning does not sufficiently challenge the most able pupils.
• Pupils make good progress in writing, due to effective feedback in books and discussion with adults. Teachers reinforce grammatical accuracy even in lessons other than English. For example, in a history lesson, discussion of verbs and adjectives enhanced pupils’ writing skills.
• Teaching in other curriculum areas also reinforces understanding of letter sounds for younger pupils and children in the early years. As a result, pupils in key stage 1 are empowered to write words that they cannot yet spell accurately, because their knowledge of phonics gives them the confidence to do so.
• Staff use assessment information effectively to identify those pupils who start to fall behind and they intervene quickly. The special educational needs coordinator and a dedicated interventions teacher make an important contribution to ensuring that all pupils can make progress in English and mathematics.
• Focused pupil analysis is used to track the performance of all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils. This includes analysis of obstacles to learning, such as social and emotional issues. As a result, staff are well informed and can meet these pupils’ needs.
• Parents are provided with helpful information on their child’s progress. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are very positive about the school’s work to identify and meet these needs.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are consistently positive. This has a strong impact on the progress they make.
• Not all pupils are confident and self-assured. However, the school’s culture and ethos challenge this regularly and provide greater confidence and self-esteem.
• Pupils are safe and feel safe. They know how to keep themselves safe online.
• Pupils value the opportunities provided to take on responsibilities around the school. Older pupils are proud to be house captains and members of the school council.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ conduct reflects the school’s efforts to promote high standards. Most pupils are polite and respectful. Low-level disruption is rare.
• Pupils behave well during breaks and lunchtimes. The school is an orderly environment.
• The school has addressed issues relating to poor attendance of specific groups of pupils. Overall, attendance levels are now in line with national expectations. Leaders and governors analyse information in this area and seek to maximise the attendance of all pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Due to good teaching, current pupils make sustained progress across the curriculum, including in English and mathematics.
• Children in Reception make progress that is at least typical and sometimes better than that of other pupils nationally. Children with low starting points make progress to catch up with their peers. Boys’ writing has been a weak area but current teaching is addressing this well.
• In Year 1, the proportion of pupils meeting the required standard in the phonics screening check is in line with national data and has increased between 2016 and 2017.
• Pupils continue to make good or better progress by the end of key stage 1. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 is above national averages in reading and writing. In mathematics, attainment is in line with national data.
• Attainment in reading for current pupils is strong with a large majority in every year group at the standard expected for their age. In writing, there is more variability but most pupils meet age-related expectations.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding wisely to ensure that disadvantaged pupils achieve well. The dedicated interventions teacher works effectively with disadvantaged pupils and their families, as well as with other key stage 2 pupils, where there is a need to improve attainment in mathematics and reading. As a result, disadvantaged pupils typically make good progress in the core areas of learning.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their different starting points. The school’s special educational needs coordinator ensures that the emotional needs of identified pupils are met through effective pastoral support.
• Progress in English and mathematics for pupils at the end of key stage 2 is in line with the national average.
• The school prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education. At the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils meeting expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with national averages. Recent progress information, combined with work scrutiny, shows that the most able pupils do not achieve as well as they might.

Early years provision Good

• The quality of education provided in the Reception class is very good. Children are very well behaved, in a way which shows that they feel safe.
• The early years foundation stage is well resourced. Children benefit from stimulating and inviting learning environments, both indoors and outside. The Reception class is warm and welcoming.
• Children willingly initiate their own learning and teachers give them strong support when they do so. Teaching assistants ensure that transitions are calm and orderly. They care for the children well.
• The Reception teachers’ established routines mean that children are ready to learn and are fully attentive. They make good progress in phonics and apply this to early writing skills such as letter formation. Pupils with low starting points make good progress and most children achieve a good level of development.
• New parents are encouraged to embrace the school’s culture for excellence in reading. The school effectively communicates its aims to the community to work in partnership and develop fluent, enthusiastic and critical readers. Parents are supported through information evenings, booklets and a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ sheet.
• Strong links are made between reading and writing. As children learn new sounds in phonics, they immediately practise letter formation in a variety of ways to improve early writing skills.
• The Reception class benefits from the sharing of effective practice because the trust’s early years leader works in close partnership with senior and subject leaders. As a result, children make good progress and are well prepared for Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number 141322 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 10036956 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 122 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Acting chair Anna Daglish Executive headteacher Sue Cox Telephone number 01840 212540 Website www.delabole.cornwall.sch.uk/ Email address secretary@delabole.cornwall.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school opened as a sponsor-led academy on 1 November 2014.
• Delabole Primary School is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school. There are five classes.
• The school is part of the Creative Learning Multi-Academy Trust (CLMAT). The executive headteacher provides support to another school in CLMAT.
• The vast majority of pupils are White British and the proportion who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is also below that found nationally.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through pupil premium funding is below the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited classrooms and many of these visits were made jointly with senior leaders. Pupils’ learning was observed across the school.
• Inspectors looked carefully at pupils’ work from all year groups and across a range of subjects.
• Discussions were held with pupils from different year groups as to how they feel about school, how teachers help them with their learning and how the school keeps them safe.
• Discussions were held with school leaders, staff, members of the governing body and the local authority. Inspectors also took into account responses to questionnaires completed by staff.
• Inspectors looked at the school’s evaluation of its own performance, its improvement plan, a number of key school policies and the minutes of meetings of the governing body. They also considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors listened to a selection of pupils read.
• Inspectors took account of 52 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including a number of free-text responses. Inspectors also spoke to a number of parents during the inspection.

Inspection team

Mike Brady, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Matthew Shanks Ofsted Inspector