Lemington Riverside Primary School

Lemington Riverside Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 8–9 November 2011 Inspection number 377759 Unique Reference Number 108456 Local authority Newcastle Upon Tyne Inspection number 377759 Inspection dates 8–9 November 2011 Reporting inspector Susan Waugh

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

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 166 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Margaret Shipley Headteacher Susan Hall Date of previous school inspection 4 June 2009 School address Rokeby Street Lemington Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE15 8RR Telephone number 0191 2674315 Fax number 0191 2648161 Email address admin@lemingtonriverside.newcastle.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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children, safeguarding and child protection.

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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

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. They observed teaching and learning in 17 lessons, taught by seven teachers. They held meetings with groups of pupils, members of the governing body, the family support officer, the attendance officer and staff. They observed the school's work including arrangements for safeguarding pupils, looked at curriculum plans, scrutinised pupils’ work and children’s learning journeys and analysed data about pupils’ progress. They took account of the 33 questionnaires returned by parents and carers. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 The rates of pupils' progress and in particular those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  How well teachers support pupils to make rapid progress in the course of a lesson.  How well the school is improving the attendance of pupils.  Whether the school is successfully reversing the apparent declining standards in previous years for English.

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Information about the school

The school is smaller than the average size primary school. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is over twice the national average. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.

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Information about the school

The school has the Basic Skills Quality Mark and National Healthy School status. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

This is a good and improving school. Parents, carers and pupils are overwhelmingly positive about the school, because they know they are central to everything the school does. Pupils make an excellent contribution to the school and the wider community by taking on roles, such as school councillors, lunchtime helpers or librarians. The school plays a key role in organising and participating in the local community festival and pupils regularly visit older people to read to them. The governing body is at the heart of this drive to ensure that the school reaches out to the community and their excellent organisation and strategic direction ensures that their work has an extremely positive impact on learning. For example, pupils’ good understanding of what it is like to be disabled was an initiative which originated with the governing body.

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Main findings

Children enter the nursery with skills below those expected for their age and make good progress in the effective Early Years Foundation Stage and through Key Stages 1 and 2. By the time they leave Year 6, they have achieved well and their attainment is broadly average. Progress is slightly slower in mathematics than in English, because sometimes more-able pupils are not provided with sufficient challenge in their mathematical work. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because of the close support and well-targeted intervention they receive. Pupils achieve well because in most lessons teaching is good and so pupils are interested in their work, behave well and are keen to succeed. The quality of teachers’ questioning in some lessons is very good and extends pupils’ understanding well. However, this good practice has yet to be shared across the school. The quality of teaching does vary and in some lessons the pace of progress

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Main findings

slows, particularly for more-able pupils.

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Main findings

The curriculum is good, a strength being the way pupils’ ideas enhance the content of their learning. A wide range of visits and visitors extends pupils’ knowledge but they have a limited grasp of the diversity of communities within the United Kingdom. Effective adaptations have been made to the curriculum, such as a new system to rapidly gain reading and writing skills. However, opportunities to practise these skills to raise attainment further in English are often missed in work in other subjects.

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Main findings

Pupils enjoy coming to school, but attendance overall has been low. It is now broadly average, having improved strongly. The school recognises that there is more to be done to sustain the momentum of improvement. Pupils know how to stay safe and lead a healthy lifestyle. They behave well and are polite and respectful. Both pupils and staff feel they are listened to and their views are valued. Consequently, morale is high. This, coupled with leaders and managers who have a firm focus on raising pupils' attainment, who know the school’s strengths and weaknesses and who accurately evaluate the school’s work, means there is a good capacity to improve further.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve progress and raise pupils' attainment in English and mathematics by: - ensuring that, in mathematics, all staff match work more closely to the needs of more-able pupils so that there is challenge built into their learning - ensuring that pupils have more consistent opportunities across the curriculum to practise writing using their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make - sharing best practice, especially in high-quality questioning, more widely across the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve attendance by: - seeking further ways in which to engage more parents and carers with their children’s learning - building on the strong partnerships with the attendance officer and family support officer to target the minority of pupils with low attendance - refining and strengthening the procedures used to monitor and track attendance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Extend the school’s promotion of community cohesion by giving pupils more opportunities to engage with those from other social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds within the United Kingdom.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and achieve well since they enter the nursery with skills that are below those expected for their age. They respond to the high expectations of staff by concentrating, working hard and answering questions keenly. In one lesson, for example, they all made an active contribution to a discussion about the merits of school uniform. Work in pupils’ books and the school’s own data confirmed the good progress now being made by all groups of pupils in English and most groups in mathematics. More-able pupils are not provided with enough challenge in mathematics and this slows their progress in some classes. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve as well as their peers because of the effective support from teaching assistants and the tailored programmes they receive. As a result of the good progress made, pupils' attainment is broadly average by the time they leave the school. Attainment in English had been

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

declining, and there is still a legacy of underachievement for some pupils. However, the school’s data along with evidence from lessons confirm that a greater proportion of pupils are now at the expected level by the time they reach Year 6.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils understand right from wrong and their spiritual, moral social and cultural development is good overall, although their cultural development is less strong. Their good behaviour contributes to the feeling of safety within school. Their work on projects such as the healthy tuck shop helps to develop their good understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Most pupils now attend school regularly as a result of the school’s efforts to raise attendance. However, a small minority of pupils still have low attendance. Pupils work well together as a team and take part in a range of enterprise activities. This, along with their satisfactory basic skills, means that they are soundly prepared for the next stage of education.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment 1 3 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 2 Pupils' behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 1 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance 1 3 The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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How effective is the provision?

Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good, although this does vary. Strengths in the teaching include clarity about what children are learning and the effective way in which teachers demonstrate new learning and strategies in order to complete a task. During the course of lessons teachers promptly address any misunderstandings which may arise. In the most successful lessons, teachers use high-quality questioning to extend and probe pupils’ understanding. For example, good progress was made in an English lesson where the teacher used effective questions to ensure that children extracted relevant information from a text. Where teaching is less strong, for example, in mathematics, staff sometimes match work insufficiently closely to the needs of more-able pupils. On occasion, there is less evidence of teachers' high quality questioning. The use of assessment to support learning is good.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum is broad and balanced. It is flexibly tailored to meet pupils’ interests and is adapted well to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The new scheme introduced to support younger pupils learning of

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low letters and the sounds they make is greatly enjoyed but there is not yet a consistent approach to ensure pupils apply these skills in their writing across the curriculum. There is a good range of opportunities which enrich learning, in the local community and further afield to places, such as London and Edinburgh.

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How effective is the provision?

Parents and carers appreciate the good care, guidance and support pupils receive. This is underpinned by adults’ very good knowledge of each child and their family. Those whose circumstances make them potentially more vulnerable are particularly well supported because of the effective systems the school has established and the strong partnerships forged with other agencies. The family support officer, working closely with the attendance officer, has made a major contribution to the improving rates of attendance and enhancing pupils’ well-being. The school now tracks pupils’ attendance closely and this means that concerns are identified and addressed quickly. However, a small minority of pupils are still absent from school too frequently. Pupils' transition to the next phase of their education progresses smoothly because of effective links with other local schools.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning 2 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher provides highly committed leadership. She is ably supported by effective senior leaders and a dedicated staff team. Pupils are at the heart of all staff do and they are united in their drive to ensure that each child achieves the best they can. Rigorous monitoring procedures are employed to make sure that steps are taken to support anyone in danger of falling behind. The governing body is outstanding. It provides exceptional support and leadership and knows the school’s strengths and areas for development very well. Individual governors visit the school regularly, checking its work so that appropriate challenge can be offered. Extremely thorough systems and monitoring ensure that good safeguarding procedures are in place. All staff have received appropriate training, rigorous vetting procedures are in place and parents, carers and pupils have access to useful guidance on the school website.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The partnerships the school makes are effective and impact positively on the quality of provision. The school is tenacious in its pursuit to involve parents and carers in their children’s learning and this is paying dividends in the small but increasing numbers of parents and carers who actively engage with the school. Overall, all groups of pupils have equal opportunities to develop their skills and talents. However, more-able pupils sometimes underachieve in mathematics. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. There is commitment to promoting community cohesion and the school knows its own community extremely well. However, the fostering of pupils’ understanding of cultures in the wider world and in the United Kingdom, in particular, is limited. These are the grades for the leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account:

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How effective are leadership and management?

The leadership and management of teaching and learning 2 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed. Staff are aware of the strengths of the provision and of what needs to be done to improve it further. Teaching is good and staff use information from observations effectively to plan activities which are well matched to children's needs. Partnerships with external agencies support children's learning and development well. The learning and development of most children who enter the nursery are below that expected for their age. The good progress they make in Nursery and Reception classes, and improving outcomes for the last three years, now means that most reach the expected levels when they enter Year 1.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children settle happily and quickly into school because staff make sure they get to know both them and their parents and carers well, making home visits before they begin nursery. Staff create a calm and caring atmosphere, acting as exemplary role models. Children respond to this by behaving well and feeling safe. Good procedures ensure children's welfare requirements are fully met. Children confidently choose activities for themselves while adults play alongside them and skilfully help to develop their language skills and nurture their imagination. A good range of resources indoors provide stimulation and engagement but the outdoor area is less well equipped to fully enhance children’s learning and development.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

The proportion of parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire was below average for a primary school. Of those who did, almost all were extremely positive about all aspects of the school. For example, they expressed high praise for how much their children enjoy school and are kept safe. They were also very positive about the way the school helps to prepare their child for the next stage of education and for the quality of teaching their children receive. A very few parents and carers felt that the school was not well led and managed. Inspectors investigated this thoroughly with the school and their findings are in the report.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Lemington Riverside Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 33 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 166 pupils registered at the school.

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questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 22 67 11 33 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 19 58 14 42 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 19 58 14 42 0 0 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 20 61 13 39 0 0 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 23 70 10 30 0 0 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 18 55 14 42 1 3 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 18 55 15 45 0 0 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 18 55 14 42 0 0 0 0

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questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 16 48 16 48 0 0 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 15 45 16 48 1 3 0 0

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questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 15 45 15 45 1 3 1 3

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questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 16 48 14 42 2 6 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 20 61 13 39 0 0 0 0

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questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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NE15 8RR

Thank you for being so friendly and helpful when we visited your school. We really enjoyed talking to you. We were pleased to hear that you make such an excellent contribution to your school and to the local community in Lemington. It was interesting to learn about the ways you know how to be healthy and how you feel safe. I list some of the other things we found out.  Yours is a good school where you make good progress in your learning and reach standards that are similar to those reached nationally by the time you leave.  You make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes.  Your governing body is outstanding and does a great deal to help you learn in an interesting way.  Your school works well with different partners to improve your education.

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NE15 8RR

Part of our job is to identify how the school can be even better. We have asked the headteacher, members of the governing body and teachers to make the school more effective by doing the following things.  Raise the standards you reach in English and mathematics even further.  Improve attendance.  Help you to understand about the many different communities that live in the United Kingdom.

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NE15 8RR

Susan Waugh Lead Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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