Gwinear Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the capacity of leadership and management by developing the role of subject leaders, so that pupils improve their work across the curriculum.
• Further improve the quality of teaching to ensure that:
  • the most able pupils are challenged and apply their mathematical skills across different subject areas
  • teaching in science deepens pupils’ skills and understanding
  • pupils use and apply their spelling, punctuation and grammar knowledge accurately in their writing.
• Improve the quality of pupils’ presentation and handwriting.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The school has recovered from an unsettled period prior to the current headteacher’s appointment. The local authority responded effectively to governor concerns. It provided appropriate support and external challenge to the school, securing an interim headteacher as well as bolstering governance.
• The headteacher has won the respect of all members of the school community in his relentless focus on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment tirelessly steering the school back on track. In particular, his actions to develop a robust assessment system have been central to the school’s improvement following changes to the national curriculum in 2014.
• The headteacher has not shied away from difficult decisions. He holds others to account effectively. His precise guidance to staff has supported improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. In addition, partnership work within a group of schools in the Penwith Educational Trust network has improved the quality of teaching in the school.
• The headteacher reviews all aspects of the school’s work thoroughly. All leaders have an accurate view of the school’s current priorities. School improvement plans are realistic and sharply focused. The headteacher acts quickly to deal with any issues so that the pace of improvement is swift.
• Those with responsibility for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities support teachers in planning effectively for pupils’ needs. Additional funding is used well and pupils make good progress.
• Leaders make effective use of funding to support disadvantaged pupils. The school provides well-tailored personal, academic and emotional support through, for example, the learning mentor. Consequently, pupils feel safe and valued, and make good progress.
• Communication with parents has become a strength of the school’s work. Parents increasingly take part in half-termly open events as well as workshops and parent meetings. These sessions have raised awareness of important whole-school issues such as internet safety.
• The well-designed curriculum interests and engages pupils. Pupils’ learning is enhanced through a number of stimulating trips and visits. After learning about a topic, pupils bring their learning to life by creating a presentation for a wide audience. For example, pupils displayed their artwork in a local gallery. A project on mountains led to pupils visiting Cornwall’s highest point. Pupils then shared their work at a local tourist attraction. Visitors were able to scan a code into their phones and access the pupils’ work.
• Leaders ensure that the sport grant is effectively spent. The sports premium lead engages local clubs to inspire pupils to take up sport. Teachers are highly effective in teaching games and physical education (PE). The school exceeds the minimum requirement expected of pupils each week to take part in PE. Pupils demonstrate highly positive attitudes towards exercise and participation in sports and games is high.
• The number of pupils on roll is growing. This has enabled leaders to expand the school recently to a four-class structure. Leaders recognise that as the school grows, they need to develop subject leadership so that curriculum areas such as science are well led.

Governance of the school

• Governors work effectively to hold the headteacher to account for the quality of the school’s work. They do this through regular visits and monitoring activities linked to the school development plan. In addition, governors engage external support to verify judgements on the school’s effectiveness. However, governors are not complacent. They recognise the need to review their practices so that the school’s effectiveness improves even more.
• Governors have benefited from guidance and support from the local authority in holding senior leaders to account. They now have a precise understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and do not shy away from asking difficult questions of the headteacher. Performance management arrangements are robust and appropriately linked to challenging targets.
• Governors keep a close eye on the effectiveness of the expenditure of additional funding. They require detailed reports from the headteacher on the impact of any additional funding on pupils’ outcomes. However, they recognise that there is still a need to ‘drill down’ to find out about the attendance of different groups of pupils.
• There was period between April 2012 and April 2015 where parents were dissatisfied and over a third of families removed their child from the school. Since this time, governors have raised the profile of their work. They attend staff training and school events so that they can listen to and respond to staff and parent views. This work has been overwhelmingly successful. All parents who spoke to the inspector were delighted with their children’s education.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All leaders and staff show a determined commitment to keeping children safe. Governors make regular and detailed checks on recruitment records to ensure that all records are up to date. Staff know when and how to escalate any concerns they may have regarding a child’s welfare.
• The headteacher has strong processes in place for keeping children safe, including recording incidents and reporting concerns to other agencies. Safeguarding records show a fastidious approach to recording incidents, liaising with parents and following up concerns. Records such as fire-evacuation logs and risk assessments are equally well maintained.
• Pupils told the inspector that the school’s curriculum allows plenty of debating opportunities. This, they say, helps them to think about what is right and wrong. It gives them confidence to express their views, and the strength not to be swayed by others.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers’ assessments are now finely tuned and accurate. This has led to a better match of teaching to pupils’ needs, and subsequently better progress.
• The highly effective teaching of phonics has ensured that pupils can build words well. Pupils read well and enjoy reading both in and out of school. They develop their early reading skills confidently.
• Teaching for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. Together, teachers and leaders carefully track individual pupils’ progress. Teachers ensure that these pupils have the resources and ongoing support they need. Additional interventions help to remove any specific barriers pupils have so that these pupils make accelerated progress.
• Mathematics is taught well. Teachers ensure that pupils are confident in using the essential skills of calculation. A whole-school approach to the development of pupils’ reasoning skills in mathematics has led to pupils’ deepening understanding of mathematics. Pupils of varying abilities are able to apply their understanding to solve problems. However, pupils do not have enough chances to apply their mathematical skills in other subjects.
• Teachers ensure that pupils develop their writing skills in different styles and for different purposes well. Pupils make effective choices of vocabulary to engage the reader. However, on occasions teachers’ expectations are not sufficiently high. In particular, pupils’ writing in key stage 2 demonstrates poor use of spelling and punctuation.
• Additional adults provide effective support. One-to-one and small group intervention is effective in ensuring that any gaps in pupils’ learning are filled quickly. As a result, any underachievement has been successfully tackled.
• Teaching staff use their strong subject knowledge, in most aspects of the curriculum, to clearly explain concepts and ask questions which deepen pupils’ understanding. Links between subjects firmly support pupils’ understanding of history and geography. However, the teaching of science does not deepen pupils’ understanding or skills development to the same degree as in other subjects.
• Teachers use homework to consolidate and extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Activities reinforce pupils’ development of key skills and a choice of tasks allows pupils to follow their interests.
• Teachers generally plan learning that inspires pupils to learn. Lessons and activities typically build on what pupils know, can do and understand. Consequently, the majority of pupils make good, and sometimes rapid, progress. However, on occasions, teachers do not make their expectations clear or give sufficient guidance. When this occurs, pupils’ progress slows.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Typically, pupils skip and run into school at the beginning of the day with beaming smiles and bounding enthusiasm. They have good social skills and strong moral values. They greet the teachers with politeness and waste no time in settling to their learning. Pupils enjoy helping each other when working on tasks and activities.
• Pupils gain a strong sense of safety awareness, including how to stay safe when cycling, at the beach or using the internet. They say that they feel safe, and are adamant that bullying does not exist in the school. They are confident that any member of staff will help them if they have any worries.
• Leaders have established effective systems to monitor and support pupils and their families who may be vulnerable to mental health issues. In addition, the support of a learning mentor and the particularly strong personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum helps all pupils to express and manage their feelings. Consequently, any worries are dealt with quickly and pupils thrive.
• The school’s breakfast club provides pupils with a safe and positive start to the day so that they are ready for learning. They enjoy the healthy breakfast on offer and the particularly warm and enthusiastic welcome they receive from the breakfast club leader. Pupils enjoy a wealth of activities. For example, the inspector observed pupils playing a table tennis challenge. Others played board games with their friends.
• Pupils learn to take responsibility. The school’s PSHE curriculum provides pupils with countless opportunities to consider their role in society. Roles such as ‘Gwinear Guardians’, school councillors and sports leaders help pupils to make a strong contribution to the school. In addition, pupils demonstrate a strong knowledge of environmental issues and engage in improving the school grounds in Eco and Bug Club. Enterprise projects support pupils’ understanding of fundraising and the value of money.
• Pupils develop a firm understanding of what it is to be healthy through regular cookery sessions conducted with every year group where they learn to prepare and cook healthy meals.
• The school provides sports clubs for pupils from key stages 1 and 2 every day. Every pupil represents the school in at least one sport, wearing the school kit with pride. Many pupils take part in numerous clubs and through the ‘taster’ sessions offered, and many pupils take up sporting activities outside of the school day.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ general conduct and behaviour in and around the school help maintain a calm and happy environment. Breaktimes and lunchtimes are happy and sociable occasions with pupils of all ages joining in with games and having fun. Pupils demonstrate great respect for one another, reflecting the school’s aims and values.
• Leaders’ work to improve attendance has been effective. The provision of a before-school minibus ‘pick up’ service has greatly reduced lateness and increased overall attendance. The overall attendance of pupils has improved to be in line with the national average. However, a small minority of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This reduces valuable learning time for these pupils.
• When work is not precisely matched to their needs, a few pupils do not maintain complete concentration and their progress slows. Some pupils do not take enough pride in their work. In addition, where teachers’ expectations are not consistently high, pupils do not take sufficient pride in their handwriting and presentation of their work.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Current work in pupils’ books and assessment information show that achievement is good. The reported ‘dip’ in standards seen in key stages 1 and 2 in 2016 is not reflective of current outcomes.
• Those pupils who speak English as an additional language make strong progress. Leaders’ skilled early identification of pupils’ needs through the induction process ensures that these pupils settle quickly and make good progress.
• The school has consistently supported pupils’ strong achievement in phonics. The proportion of pupils meeting the national standard has remained above the national average. However, pupils in key stage 2 do not consistently apply their knowledge of phonics to their writing.
• 2017 key stage 1 outcomes were much improved from 2016. In particular, a high proportion of pupils achieved the highest standard in reading. However, fewer pupils achieved the highest standard in writing and mathematics.
• Reported outcomes show that pupils made good progress in the 2017 end of key stage 2 tests. However, these pupils made rapid progress from Year 4 to catch up from a slow start in lower key stage 2 to achieve the expected standard.
• The few disadvantaged pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress as a result of the effective quality teaching they receive. In particular, the work to support pupils’ emotional needs is highly effective in helping pupils’ readiness for learning.
• In 2016, outcomes in science were broadly in line with national averages at key stages 1 and 2. Pupils gain an age-appropriate range of scientific skills, knowledge and understanding. However, pupils’ progression of skills in science is less developed than in subjects such as history or geography.
• The most able pupils make good progress particularly in writing. In 2017, a greater proportion of pupils than nationally achieved at the highest standard. However, although an improving picture, fewer pupils achieve the highest standards in mathematics.

Early years provision Good

• The early years is well led and managed. Parents appreciate the warmth of the school staff. The school’s strong focus on children’s personal and social development helps children to settle quickly into school life.
• Governors have responded well to the area for improvement identified in the previous inspection. Both indoor and outdoor learning environments provide bright, safe and inspirational areas to encourage children’s curiosity. Children enjoy the activities on offer and sustain their levels of concentration well.
• Teaching is effective. Adult interactions with children are precise and timely. Teachers make good use of their assessments to make sure that children develop their skills, knowledge and understanding across all areas of learning.
• Teaching in the early years develops a love of reading. Reading records reflect the high priority given to reading. They show that children share their books with adults in school and at home almost every day. This, together with the effective teaching in phonics and the print-rich environment, is helping children to get off to a good start in reading and writing.
• The number of pupils reaching the expected standard has been higher than the national average for the last few years. However, 2017 saw a dip in the proportions of children achieving a good level of development. This is likely to be below the national average. However, children made good progress from their starting points. In addition, scrutiny of the work these children are doing this year shows that the early years has left them well placed for learning in Year 1.
• Leaders make good use of the pupil premium funding to support the few disadvantaged children in the early years. In particular, speech and language support has been effective in improving children’s communication and language skills. Similarly, teachers make regular and accurate assessments to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have the right learning experiences to support their development. Consequently, children flourish.
• Safeguarding is effective. In line with the rest of the school, adults are vigilant to the needs of the children. Adults complete risk assessments to ensure that the environment and equipment are safe. When teachers take children outside of school, they are equally careful in considering risks and ensuring that pupils are safe from harm.
• Although children get off to a good start in the early years, leaders recognise the need to work even more closely with nursery providers and families so that activities can be even better matched to children’s needs when they start school.

School details

Unique reference number 111846 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 10024935 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 101 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cathy Woolcock Headteacher Lee Gardiner Telephone number 01209 831303 Website www.gwinear.cornwall.sch.uk/ Email address head@gwinear.cornwall.sch.uk Date of previous inspection May 2009

Information about this school

• The school meets the requirements for the publication of information on its website.
• This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.
• The school has expanded this year and has moved from a three-class structure. There are now four mixed-aged classes consisting of Reception and Year 1, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6.
• Children in the Reception class attend full time.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who receive special educational needs support is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have a special educational needs statement or an education, health and care plan is well below with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is in line with the national average.
• A higher proportion of children than seen nationally join the school at times other than at the start of the Reception Year and leave at other times than at the end of Year 6.
• 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.
• There is a breakfast club which is managed by the school.
• The school works in partnership with a group of schools within the Penwith Educational Trust. Together they undertake joint training and moderation of pupils’ work.
• Since the previous inspection, there have been changes in leadership. The local authority brokered support from an experienced ex-headteacher for approximately two terms in the 2014/15 academic year prior to the current headteacher taking up his post in May 2015.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector and the headteacher jointly observed pupils learning across the school. High pupil mobility deems year-on-year comparisons misleading so the inspector and headteacher looked at current pupils compared with work in their previous books to establish the quality of work and pupils’ progress over time.
• The inspector scrutinised a variety of school documents to ascertain the school’s evaluation of its performance. Records relating to behaviour, safety and attendance were also reviewed.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher. Meetings also took place with two of the recently qualified teachers. The inspector held a telephone call with a representative from the local authority and held a meeting with the school’s current school improvement partner who had been the interim head for a short time before the current headteacher took up post.
• The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during their learning and at lunch and breaktimes. She also met with some pupils to seek their views of the school and to discuss how they feel about their learning and progress.
• The inspector visited the school’s before-school provision.
• The inspector considered 22 responses to the online survey, Parent View. She also spoke to parents during the inspection to ascertain their views. The inspector also considered staff views during the inspection.

Inspection team

Tracy Hannon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector