Tregony Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders and managers should ensure that all pupils, including those who have low or average prior attainment and pupils with SEND, make consistently strong progress across the school by:
  • making sure that teachers consistently match the level of challenge closely to the pupils’ different starting points
  • addressing any gaps in pupils’ prior learning of basic number skills
  • extending pupils use of language, particularly their vocabulary and sentence structure.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, other leaders and trustees are committed to developing pupils’ love of learning through a broad and balanced curriculum. They have successfully raised teachers’ aspirations for the pupils through reviewing the curriculum and ensuring that it challenges and deepens pupils’ thinking and learning.
• This has resulted in a greater proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard than seen nationally. However, leaders identified that some pupils with lower prior attainment were being left behind. They have taken effective action to address this.
• Training provided for subject leaders by the Roseland Multi-Academy Trust (the MAT) has led to these leaders having greater subject knowledge and carrying out a more rigorous evaluation of pupils’ progress over time. Through regularly checking progress information and pupils’ work in their books and in lessons, the leaders are identifying accurately areas in need of improvement.
• To address the identified areas, subject leaders provide effective training and support for teaching and support staff. The staff are motivated by the high quality of professional development. It has improved the quality of teaching and learning.
• Trustees have improved the impact of the pupil premium by using it to provide additional adults to support disadvantaged pupils in lessons. Effective training for teachers and the support staff has enabled them to challenge the pupils and extend their verbal responses and thinking. Current pupils are making rapid progress.
• Funding for pupils with SEND has been used effectively to improve the pupils’ reading and comprehension skills. Trustees have also ensured that the PE and sport premium is used well to engage more pupils in a wider range of sport, for example cycling and surfing, and to develop the quality of teaching and learning.
• Curricular topics are now motivating boys as well as girls to learn and to develop a wide range of knowledge and skills. Good emphasis is given to developing pupils’ resilience in learning and to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils developed empathy in writing as if they were a soldier in the First World War.
• The wide range of clubs and extra-curricular activities are very popular. Together with enrichment activities and trips, they make a positive contribution to pupils’ progress and personal development.
• Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. For example, they learn about democracy through voting for the school council. In assemblies and religious education, they learn to value diversity and to respect others who have different faiths and views. Staff set a good example through their positive relationships with each other, the pupils, parents and carers.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and almost all would recommend it to others.

Governance of the school

• Trustees have an in-depth knowledge of the school. They make good use of their visits to check pupils’ progress and to maintain an overview of the school’s progress tracking information during the year. They also monitor closely leaders’ progress on the actions in the school improvement plan, and published performance reports, to identify any further areas for improvement.
• The trustees challenge leaders effectively to make the necessary improvements. They make sure that leaders have the support they need and that the school’s funding is spent well to improve outcomes for the pupils.
• The trustees ensure that staff performance is managed well and has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and progress.
• They regularly review school policies and keep their training up to date, especially in safeguarding and safer recruitment of staff.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Trustees and school leaders have created a culture of vigilance where pupils’ welfare is of paramount importance. Regular training for staff ensures that they are confident in identifying when a pupil may be at risk of neglect, abuse or exploitation and in reporting their concerns. Leaders and staff work effectively with external agencies to support the pupils.
• The school leaders protect pupils from radicalisation and extremism. Staff value the high-quality training provided by the trustees. It has ensured that they are vigilant, confident and competent in identifying signs of risk and in challenging pupils’ views.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are leading to pupils making more consistently strong progress throughout the school.
• Training and support over the past few years have been effective in increasing teachers’ subject knowledge and raising their expectations of what the pupils can achieve. Time in lessons is used productively because teachers plan work that challenges and engages the pupils.
• Recent improvements in the use of assessment include matching the level of challenge more closely to the pupils’ different starting points. Most of the pupils who start to fall behind are identified quickly and supported effectively to improve their learning. However, this is not yet the case for all pupils who fall behind. School leaders are aware of this and are taking effective action to eliminate this weakness.
• Improvements in the teaching and learning of reading are having a positive impact on pupils’ comprehension skills. Books are selected that provide a high level of comprehension challenge, based on pupils’ prior knowledge. Teaching and support staff ask probing questions that motivate the pupils to interrogate the texts and deepen their understanding.
• The teaching and learning of writing are improving. Most pupils’ use of vocabulary and range of sentences are increasing due to the wide variety of texts they now read. In addition, their increased knowledge of phonics is supporting pupils’ spelling skills.
• Improvements in the teaching and learning of mathematics have increased pupils’ fluency in number work. Pupils respond well to the higher level of challenge in applying their calculations to problem solving. Most pupils are developing good reasoning skills.
• Teachers give pupils feedback in line with the school’s assessment policy. Pupils use this effectively to improve their work. They also complete homework and read regularly and widely at home.
• School reports provide accurate information for parents about how well their child is doing in relation to the standards expected and what the child needs to do to improve.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident and, through positive relationships with each other and with the staff, they develop self-esteem. They are eager to learn and take pride in their work and their school.
• Pupils work and play together well. They show respect for others’ ideas and views.
• Pupils say they feel safe in school and parents agree. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when using the internet or social media. They are confident that staff would deal well with any concerns they may have, including any incidents of bullying.
• Pupils enjoy learning about how to stay healthy, for example through physical exercise and eating well. They develop positive attitudes to learning and this supports their emotional and mental health.
• Pupils learn to be good citizens. For example, the school council takes its responsibility seriously and has helped to improve lunchtime arrangements.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and conduct themselves well throughout the day, including at lunchtimes. The school is an orderly environment. Pupils focus attentively on their work and low-level disruption of lessons is rare.
• Case studies demonstrate marked improvements in behaviour for individual pupils who have particular behavioural needs.
• Staff and parents agree that the school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.
• Pupils value their education and attend school regularly.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Most of the current pupils are making strong progress across almost all year groups and in a wide range of subjects, including in English and mathematics.
• This is an improvement on last year when progress in reading, writing and mathematics was broadly average and achievement dipped below national figures at the end of key stage 2. However, a greater proportion of pupils than seen nationally attained the higher standard. The achievement of pupils at the end of key stage 1 was above average in reading and writing, and average in mathematics.
• Progress continues to be especially strong across subjects for the most able pupils and girls currently in the school. Due to the higher levels of challenge in their learning and more engaging curriculum, boys are making better progress than previously and they are catching up with the girls.
• The more effective use of the pupil premium is addressing the specific barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils, especially in their language development. Consequently, these pupils are making rapid progress and catching up with others in the school and nationally. This is an improvement on the progress of disadvantaged pupils last year which dipped below the national average, especially for those pupils who also had special educational needs.
• Many of the current pupils with SEND, or who have low or mid prior attainment, are making strong progress across subjects. However, some of these pupils are not yet making the progress they should. Leaders have identified these pupils and are taking effective action to improve their learning, including ensuring that their work is at the right level of challenge for their starting points.
• The main barriers to learning for these pupils are gaps in their prior learning of basic number skills and limited knowledge of words and sentence structure. While leaders’ actions to eliminate these issues are having a positive outcome, these barriers to learning are not yet being addressed consistently well in all year groups.
• Due to the improvements in the teaching and learning of reading, pupils throughout the school read widely and often. They are developing a good level of comprehension. They apply their knowledge of phonics fluently when tackling unfamiliar words. For the past three years, an above average number of pupils in Year 1 achieved the expected standard in the national phonics screening check.
• Given their strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics, most current pupils are well prepared for secondary school.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders have an accurate picture of the early years provision which is gained through continuous assessment of children’s progress. This informs relevant areas for improvement and staff training.
• The early years leader works well with staff in the on-site pre-school. The partnership promotes children’s effective transition into school. Pre-school staff and parents make a positive contribution to children’s initial assessments. This, together with home visits, provides good support for the early identification of the children’s needs.
• Safeguarding is effective and staff training is up to date. Child protection policies and procedures are implemented consistently.
• The curriculum provides a broad range of challenging experiences which interest and motivate the children to learn, including through continuous provision outside.
• Teaching is effective. Staff have high expectations. Regular assessments are used to plan activities that are suitably challenging for most children. Over time, most children achieve well in the early learning goals for reading, writing and mathematics. This has enabled them to make a positive start in Year 1, especially in phonics.
• A few children with particularly low prior attainment and special educational needs did not achieve a good level of development in 2018. Leaders have made suitable provision for these children to continue with the early years curriculum until they are secure in the basic skills necessary for the Year 1 curriculum. The children are catching up quickly.
• Leaders accurately identified that the main barrier to learning for disadvantaged children was their limited language skills. Additional funding is now being used more effectively to extend their knowledge of vocabulary and sentences.
• Children’s behaviour is good and shows that they feel safe. They learn to respect each other’s differences and engage with interest in a range of activities that teach them about people in the wider world.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 142668 Cornwall 10058281 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 126 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Paul Grayston Diane Blackie 01872 530643 www.tregony.eschools.co.uk/ head@tregony.cornwall.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school converted to academy status on 1 March 2016 when it joined the Roseland Multi-Academy Trust. The trust comprises two primary schools and a secondary school, The Roseland School.
• The school shares a site with the secondary school and also with a pre-school for children aged two to four years. The pre-school is under separate management.
• The headteacher of the secondary school is the executive headteacher of all three schools in the trust and he is also the chief executive officer (CEO).
• The trust is governed by a board of trustees.
• The school provides childcare before and after school. It is managed by the trust.
• The school is much smaller than most primary schools.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average.
• Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for special educational needs is above average.
• The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is above average.

Information about this inspection

• Together with the headteacher, the inspector observed pupils learning in all classes. She carried out an in-depth scrutiny of a sample of books in all year groups, jointly with the English and mathematics subject leaders. They compared the work scrutiny with the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress.
• The inspector heard a small group of pupils reading and observed pupils around the school at breaktime and lunchtime.
• The inspector held meetings with trustees, the CEO of the multi-academy trust, the headteacher, subject leaders and pupils. She also met informally with some parents.
• The inspector examined a range of documents, including those relating to the school’s evaluation of its performance, improvement planning and the safeguarding of pupils. She also examined information on pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour.
• The inspector took account of the 48 responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View survey and several written responses. She also took account of questionnaires completed by 14 members of staff and two pupils.

Inspection team

Sue Frater, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector