Nancealverne School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher is very ambitious for the future of the school. Since her arrival she has worked tirelessly to improve pupils' achievements through high-quality training and checks on teaching which has led to improvements in pupils' learning.

Effective systems to check pupils' achievement and progress ensure no one falls behind because : they can quickly catch up. The governing body has improved. Governors now have a good range of skills which they use well to manage the budget and to form an accurate view of the school's work.

Governors ensure that additional funding enables eligible pupils to achieve as well as their peers. Parents are... very pleased with the school. They say that their children make good progress.

Pupils behave well in and around the school. They say they feel safe at school. Improvements to the range of subjects offered engage pupils particularly well.

Effective provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development ensures that their personal development is good. Teaching is good, with some that is outstanding. Strong relationships and well-planned tasks engage pupils well.

Pupils across the school achieve well in English, making good progress in reading and writing. Pupils also make good progress in mathematics, enjoying the practical tasks set for them. The Early Years Foundation Stage is good.

Children get off to a positive start in the early years provision. They settle well and make good progress. The overall effectiveness of the sixth form is good.

Students gain a range of appropriate qualifications. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Not all pupils have sufficient access to signs and symbols to communicate their needs, or make choices. Older pupils do not have enough access to work- related experiences, to better prepare them for their futures.

Information about this school

The school caters for pupils who are supported by a statement of special educational needs for their severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties. About 20 per cent of pupils have a diagnosis of autism and a few others have additional sensory or physical difficulties. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.

The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above average. This is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after. Additional primary school sports funding is provided for primary-aged pupils.

Year 7 catch-up funding is provided for the few pupils in that year group. Off-site training for sixth-form students is provided by Truro College and Penwith College. The Nursery and Reception-aged children share a classroom.

The school has grown in numbers since the previous inspection. The school is part of the Penwith Educational Trust with 15 local schools. The school has inclusion links with local primary and secondary schools including Alverton Primary School, Pensans Primary School, Mounts Bay Academy, Gulval Child Development Centre, St Maddons School and St Ives Primary School.

These schools provide joint opportunities for all pupils. The school does not enter pupils early for examinations. The headteacher was newly appointed to the school in January 2014.