Stanhope Primary School

Stanhope Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 02–03 May 2012 Inspection number 377798 Unique Reference Number 108676 Local authority South Tyneside Inspection number 377798 Inspection dates 2–3 May 2012 Lead inspector Gordon Potter

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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 238 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robert Carter Headteacher John Vasey Date of previous school inspection 12 November 2008 School address Gresford Street South Shields NE33 4SZ Telephone number 0191 4201710 Fax number 0191 4202510 Email address info@stanhope.s-tyneside.sch.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Gordon Potter Carole Snee Additional Inspector Additional Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors observed 20 lessons taught by eight teachers, including joint observations of classes with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The inspectors held meetings with representatives of the governing body, staff, pupils, parents and carers, and spoke to the school’s local authority education development adviser. The inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of school policies and documentation relating to safeguarding and strategic planning, examples of pupils’ work, assessment data and monitoring records. They also scrutinised the 130 questionnaires returned by parents and carers as well as questionnaires from pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

This school is slightly larger than the average sized primary school. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. However, a significant proportion of pupils is from other cultural backgrounds, predominantly Sikh, about half of whom speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above average. The proportion of those who are supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average. The school has achieved Healthy School status. The school meets the current floor standards which are the minimum standards expected by the government for attainment and progress. 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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Key Findings

 This is a satisfactory school. It encourages pupils to behave very well and to have above average attendance. It is yet not a good school because, while there is some good teaching which challenges pupils and helps them make good progress, teaching and progress are inconsistent across the school. The monitoring of performance by leaders and managers is not sufficiently focused on measuring the impact of actions taken. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit from an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Key Findings

 Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. From starting points that are generally well below age-related expectations, pupils make satisfactory progress to attain standards at the end of Year 6 that are average in mathematics and below average in English. There are good outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is satisfactory overall. In good lessons, teachers allow pupils to apply their skills in stimulating, investigative activities. However, this approach is inconsistent across the school. Teachers offer too much help and do not always plan work that is well-matched to the learning needs of individual pupils. They do not always give pupils short-term targets that will help them take the next steps in their learning or allow them time to act upon advice about how to improve their work.

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Key Findings

 Behaviour is good. Pupils from different cultural backgrounds play and learn well together and say they feel very safe in school. They enjoy school and say that misbehaviour is uncommon.

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Key Findings

 Leaders and managers accurately evaluate the school’s strengths and weaknesses and use the outcomes to target improvements. However, data analysis and monitoring procedures are not well-enough used to measure the impact of initiatives in individual classes and across the school. Many leaders are new to their posts and are not yet accountable enough for pupils’ progress in their areas of responsibility. The governing body supports senior leaders well and offers increasingly focussed challenge. 

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By the summer of 2013, improve teaching to good, so increasing the rates at which pupils make progress and raising attainment, by:  providing pupils with more opportunities in lessons to work independently or together in a range of open-ended, investigative activities which develop independence, confidence and writing skills  ensuring that all work is matched accurately to the needs of individual pupils  ensuring that all pupils have clear short-term targets which will help them understand how to take the next steps in their learning  giving pupils the chance to act upon advice about how to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the consistency and effectiveness of leaders at all levels, by:  using assessment information more rigorously to measure the impact of initiatives to raise attainment across school and in individual classes  ensuring the consistent application of the school’s procedures to create, monitor and evaluate the impact of appropriate interventions  ensuring that teachers and leaders are made more accountable for pupils’ progress in their classes and their areas of responsibility.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils enjoy lessons, particularly when they are actively engaged in challenging activities and are finding things out for themselves. Where teaching is clearly focused and offers pupils opportunities to engage with tasks which are at the correct level of challenge, they make good progress. For example, in a mathematics lesson in Year 4 pupils enjoyed measuring and recording weight, length and capacity, and then being engaged by questions which were at the correct level of challenge. This was less evident in some lessons in both Key Stages 1 and 2, when less-demanding activities and too much teacher direction caused progress to slow.

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Achievement of pupils

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are good and they make good progress from their starting points. Progress in Key Stages 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Attainment at the end of Year 2 is typically below average and pupils have made satisfactory progress from their starting points. In Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress in mathematics to attain average standards by the end of Year 6, but progress in English is weaker, so that attainment in English is below average and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Attainment in reading by the end of Years 1 and 2 is typically below average and by the time pupils leave school in Year 6 it remains below average. Disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. While the school accurately identifies their needs and there are skilled teaching assistants, not all work is well-targeted at their needs, particularly in whole-class

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Achievement of pupils

Almost all parents and carers believe their children are making good progress. Inspection findings were that pupils make satisfactory progress overall.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers make learning fun by helping pupils to see the links between subjects and apply their skills in real-life scenarios. For example, pupils in Year 5 were engaged in researching, talking about and planning together to present arguments for and against bull-fighting in letters to the Spanish government. Skilful teaching allowed them to talk together and gather and organise their ideas. However this approach is inconsistent across school. Teachers sometimes offer too much help and provide too few opportunities for pupils to explore together in open-ended investigative activities which develop pupils’ independence and confidence. This is particularly the case in English, where pupils have too few chances to engage with text, research ideas, or to develop their writing skills in extended tasks. Work is not well-matched to the learning needs of individual pupils. Marking is used to tell older pupils the level of

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Quality of teaching

their work and how to improve it. However, this is inconsistent across school in the extent to which teachers give clear, short-term targets for improvement. Teachers do not always allow pupils the chance to act upon advice about how to improve their work. Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, are taught well when work is clearly focussed on their needs and they have the opportunity to engage with tasks under the guidance of skilled teaching assistants.

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Quality of teaching

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, a range of stimulating activities, inside and outdoors, engages children’s imagination, allows them to explore for themselves and moves their learning on rapidly. Teachers skilfully plan work which is well-matched to children’s individual learning needs and ensures activities help children to develop in all areas of learning. For example, children were able to explain clearly the immoral things that pirates did and identify cutlasses and telescopes. There are many opportunities for pupils to write and these are helping children make good progress. There is good teaching of reading and the links between sounds and letters. However, this is inconsistent across school. As a result, older pupils make only satisfactory progress in reading and writing.

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Quality of teaching

Almost all parents and carers believe that pupils are taught well. Inspection evidence confirms that in some lessons this is the case, although teaching is inconsistent across the school.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils enjoy school. They are highly respectful of each other and extremely polite to adults. Pupils from a range of cultural backgrounds play and learn well together and are tolerant of, and understand, the importance of their different faiths. They welcome and care for their new school building, although they are frustrated that delays have prevented them enjoying the total experience of new playgrounds and garden areas. It is testimony to their good behaviour that they play sensibly together in the limited space currently available to them. Almost all parents and carers responding to the inspection questionnaires agree that, overall, there is a good standard of behaviour at the school. However, a few parents and carers express some concerns about behaviour in lessons. Good behaviour was evident in lessons observed during the inspection and around the school. The inspectors analysed the school’s records of behaviour over time and talked to many pupils during lessons, at

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

break times and more formally in group discussions. Pupils are aware of different forms of bullying and say that cyber-bullying or racism, in particular, are uncommon. They say that behaviour is good in their lessons and that behaviour strategies are used effectively, so that the few pupils who find managing their own behaviour difficult respond well to a consistent approach and clear guidance. They feel safe and know that older pupils, as well as the teachers and other adults in school, will help with any problems if they arise. Attendance is above average. The school council and the ‘buddies’ work very hard on behalf of other pupils. They are extremely proud of the actions they have initiated to improve aspects of school life, including their input into improvements to the playground and the development of the school environment, and the money they raise for charities.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher is committed to driving school improvement. He and the deputy headteacher have focussed their efforts on improving the curriculum and the quality of teaching to raise pupils’ attainment. They have a clear picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They identify the correct priorities and seek appropriate external advice to support their initiatives, to share good practice and to develop programmes of continuing professional development. These key strategies are having an impact on improving teaching and making the curriculum more exciting to pupils. Accordingly, the school has the capacity for further improvement. Recent changes to the roles and responsibilities of leaders at other levels mean that a coherent overall view of the curriculum is in development. These leaders are not yet fully accountable for progress in their areas. The consistent application of the school’s procedures to create, monitor and evaluate the impact of appropriate

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Leadership and management

interventions is not fully embedded. Data are used well to measure pupils’ attainment and to enable the swift identification of groups and individuals who need additional support to close any gaps in their learning. However, such information is used less well to measure the progress pupils make in individual subjects and classes and this limits accountability for pupils’ progress.

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Leadership and management

The school is particularly proud of its commitment to an inclusive ethos and has effective systems for promoting equality of opportunities for all pupils to be successful. It tackles discrimination firmly. Safeguarding procedures fully meet requirements. The school has a range of effective partnerships, for example, to provide opportunities in music and sport, and to support pupils who have a range of learning, emotional and behavioural needs and their families. Members of the governing body are highly supportive of the school. They have appropriate procedures to monitor the school’s effectiveness and offer satisfactory challenge. The focus on improving the curriculum has led to a strong emphasis on developing basic skills in English, mathematics, and the use of technology, including procedures to develop writing skills in other areas of the curriculum. However, there remains a gap between this approach and the way basic skills are taught in lessons. Across the

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Leadership and management

school, there is a coherent and systematic approach to teaching reading, with a balanced emphasis on letters and sounds and comprehension. The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through well- planned enrichment activities, including visits to museums, and visits from artists and faith leaders. These help to develop pupils’ clear understanding of other faiths and cultures. There are many popular extra-curricular clubs which promote learning and enjoyment in sporting, music, artistic and environmental activities.

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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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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school 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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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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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

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school's efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and 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

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and 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.

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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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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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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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Inspection of Stanhope Primary School, South Shields, NE33 4SZ

Thank you for making the inspectors so welcome when we visited your school. We particularly enjoyed talking to you about your school and your work and reading your views in the questionnaires some of you filled in. We were impressed with your good behaviour and by your politeness and the care you show for one another. Your school takes good care of you so that you feel very safe in school. Most of you attend school very regularly – well done!

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Inspection of Stanhope Primary School, South Shields, NE33 4SZ

You go to a satisfactory school and your headteacher and the governing body know how to make it better. You told me that you look forward to coming to school because you like your teachers, lessons where you are actively engaged, lunch-time and after-school clubs and visits. Your parents and carers like the school very much.

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Inspection of Stanhope Primary School, South Shields, NE33 4SZ

In order to help you reach higher standards and make faster progress, I am asking your teachers to improve teaching so that:   you always have enough opportunities to find things out for yourselves and then use what you have learned to improve your skills  you have clear targets that will help you take the next steps in your learning and time to act upon advice about how to improve your work  all the information that teachers have about how well you are doing is used to plan work that is at the right level for all of you  they check that the things they are doing to improve the school are making your lessons better.

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Inspection of Stanhope Primary School, South Shields, NE33 4SZ

You can help by continuing to do your best and continuing to attend regularly. I wish you every success in the future.

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Inspection of Stanhope Primary School, South Shields, NE33 4SZ

Gordon Potter 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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