Easington Colliery Primary School

Easington Colliery Primary Whickham Street, Easington Colliery, County Durham, SR8 3DJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Although most pupils make progress as expected nationally, too few make good progress.  Some of the weaker readers at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 find difficulty in pronouncing the sounds of letters, which slows their ability to read fluently and spell correctly.  Teaching in the school, but especially in Key Stage 1, is inconsistent in quality and does not always capture the attention of pupils to promote good progress.  The outdoor area in the Early Years Foundation Stage does not provide the same opportunities as the indoor area to support all areas of learning.  In lessons where tasks are not as engaging, the pupils are too passive and lack concentration, and some engage in low-level misbehaviour.  The governing body of the school has changed substantially and some governors require more training to offer greater challenge to the leadership of the school.  Although the leadership has implemented good new strategies to accelerate progress,

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

there now needs to be a focus on ensuring these are implemented by all staff.

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The school has the following strengths

 The effective impact of leadership and management is leading to improved achievement. The recent rate of pupils’ progress is accelerating, particularly at Key Stage 2.  The Early Years Foundation Stage provision indoors is well-planned and imaginative. It is helping to secure good progress.  There have been striking improvements to the quality of the marking of pupils’ work. Pupils who are disabled, those who have special educational needs and those in receipt of the pupil premium make good progress.  The rich creative curriculum with its many opportunities for residential visits helps to build independence, resilience and self- confidence in pupils.  Behaviour has improved so that there has been only one fixed-term exclusion since January 2011.  The good professional development of staff and the careful monitoring of their performance by senior staff are increasing the number of lessons that are judged as

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 23 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 14 different teachers.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about how much reading they do, as well as looking at their work in class.  Discussions took place with members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils.  Documents were examined, including those relating to safeguarding, the school’s improvement plan and self-evaluation records, as well as the school’s own assessment data.  The views of 22 parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) were also taken into account, as well the school’s own parental questionnaire, which surveyed 110 parents.  Forty-four staff completed questionnaires and the responses were analysed.

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Inspection team

Frank Cain, Lead inspector Additional inspector Wendy Richardson Additional inspector Jane Beckett Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Easington Colliery Primary is a larger than average sized primary school.  Nearly all pupils are from a White British background.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well above average as is the proportion at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well above average.  The headteacher and the senior management team, including the governing body, have changed significantly since the last full inspection and three newly qualified teachers have joined in the last year.  There is an after-school facility on site for children, but it is not managed by the school’s governing body and so did not form part of this inspection.  There is a behaviour unit in the school, which is shared by seven local primary schools and can deal with a maximum of three children at any one time. No children from Easington Colliery

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Information about this school

were in the unit during the inspection.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching, particularly in Key Stage 1, so that more lessons are good or better and more pupils make good progress by: - providing activities that are more practical, challenging and stimulating, to capture pupils’ curiosity and to allow them to work independently - using time and well-directed questions more effectively to increase the pace of learning and hence increase pupils’ interest in lessons and remove any low-level misbehaviour - ensuring that there is consistency in pupils’ books linking the points for improvement in the marking of pupils' work to the target-setting procedures.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improving the school’s leadership and management by: - developing a more systematic, continuous approach to the teaching of reading so that pupils can read fluently and spell accurately, fostering a greater enjoyment of reading across the school - ensuring that the sharing of good practice is available widely across the school - providing training for new governors, for example, in analysing information about the school’s performance so that they are more able to rigorously monitor the impact of all aspects of the school’s work.  Improve the outdoor provision for children to match that for indoors in the Early Years Foundation Stage, so that there are opportunities for learning across all areas of the curriculum.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children enter the Reception class with skills that are generally below the expected levels in literacy and numeracy, but they make good progress, so that by the time they leave Year 6 they are close to what is expected for their age.  The attainment of pupils by the time they reach Year 6 is around the national average but only a few pupils make good progress from their starting points at the end of Year 2 than would normally be expected. This means that achievement is not yet good.  Progress is accelerating for most learners, because teachers now have accurate tracking data, which a good proportion of teachers are using effectively in their planning. The majority of pupils now make progress that is at least in line with other pupils nationally and sometimes better. Pupils who are in danger of falling behind are identified and interventions are put in place.  Weaker readers in Year 2 find difficulty in pronouncing some letter sounds, thus slowing their

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

progress in reading whole words and in spelling. Older, better readers read more extensively but have not yet developed a strong enthusiasm for reading.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because they are well supported and work is tailored to their needs.Pupils supported by the pupil premium achieve better than other similar pupils nationally because the school makes good use of funding to support these pupils. The good achievement of these groups of pupils shows the school’s commitment to promoting equality of opportunity

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is good in some lessons, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 2. However, in a number of lessons teachers spend too long on explanations, the pace is slow and pupils are not encouraged to develop their ideas and demonstrate what they are learning. This slows their progress.  More opportunities could be made for practical tasks and greater use of allowing pupils to work independently. Few lessons were seen which encouraged pupils to explore and research things for themselves.  In some lessons, teachers’ questioning was good but in others it did not challenge pupils to try their best nor to ascertain the level of their learning. An example of good questioning in a mathematics lesson was when the teacher accurately assessed that the work done before break had been misunderstood by the pupils and so adapted the lesson accordingly.  The teachers have a common planning framework for lessons and specify clearly what pupils

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

are expected to learn and understand in lessons. Teachers’ planning generally shows that they are increasingly adapting work to match pupils’ abilities, but in some lessons, tasks do not challenge all pupils sufficiently or provide a level of interest to ensure pupils’ best efforts.  In the best lessons, teachers give pupils challenging work that matches their abilities. This gives them a sense of achievement and increases their confidence. In a mathematics lesson, for example, a group were totally engrossed in tricky multiplication work and one pupil’s eyes lit up as he suddenly realised he understood and could do the task.  Teachers are becoming skilled at teaching literacy across all subjects. In a history lesson on the moon landing, pupils were shown a video and were encouraged to think critically about the episode and to note down any areas of inconsistency in the evidence. However, teachers need

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

to focus more on developing pupils’ reading skills and encouraging a love of reading.  Children in the Reception class actively enjoyed being outside in one lesson when teachers developed their listening skills to note bird song and other woodland noises. Staff encourage children’s language development, taking advantage of their excitement and enthusiasm. The indoor provision generally provides noticeably better experiences than that found outdoors.  Support in classrooms by teaching assistants is effective in helping disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to access lessons.  Marking of pupils’ work is thorough and pupils make good use of self-assessment. Staff use different coloured pens, which is a system well liked by pupils as they are directed to make changes and alterations to their work, such as, in spellings and punctuation to reinforce their literacy skills. Pupils, especially the older ones, know their overall targets but not as much

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

guidance is given in books to show where pupils are in relation to these.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour in lessons, when lessons are well taught, is good, but in some lessons, pupils need more prompting to encourage positive attitudes, better concentration and good behaviour. Some lessons had instances of low-level misbehaviour.  Pupils enjoy coming to school, and in lessons which are stimulating they are keen to answer questions and take pride in their work. Pupils are friendly as they move around the school but some did say that occasionally during break times outside there could be arguments.  Behaviour is improving. There have been no permanent and only one fixed-term exclusion in the last two years. Behaviour logs show a large reduction in incidents of unacceptable behaviour.  Attendance has improved over a number of years and the incidence of persistent absenteeism has decreased because of the more rigorous monitoring systems and rewards to promote good attendance. Pupils are proud to be chosen as playground buddies and other pupils use them as

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

a first source of contact if they have a problem on the playground. They are increasingly proud of their work and the school celebrates pupils’ success in celebration assemblies.  Children in the Reception class are attentive, engaged and respectful of each other. Support staff, as well as teachers, actively encourage good behaviour.  All pupils questioned understand about different types of bullying and are particularly knowledgeable about the dangers associated with new technology, including computers.  Pupils say they feel safe and even the most vulnerable know whom to turn to if they have a problem. They are well aware of areas they are not to go in school, such as near vehicles in the car park. Safety is encouraged by school staff from an early age. Children in the Reception class are encouraged to think about their own safety, for instance, when visiting a local woodland.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership is not yet good because although teaching is improving, not enough lessons are yet of the good or better quality needed to make pupils achieve consistently well. This is because many of the new and effective strategies to ensure good teaching and learning have not yet been fully embedded throughout the school.  The morale of staff is high and they work as a team to promote improvement. They feel well supported by senior leaders and that the management of their performance is rigorous. Performance management is aligned well to the Teachers’ Standards and has helped to improve teaching.  The school adopted a mixture of strategies to develop reading skills, but senior staff at the school recognise that a more concentrated, systematic approach needs to be developed.  Teachers who lead and manage subjects are improving their role as monitors of the quality of work in their subjects by thorough and regular work scrutinies of pupils’ work.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school tries to engage with those parents who are more difficult to reach. It provides opportunities for them to work with their children in school. A new school website and a planned governor newsletter will further help communication to and from home to school, which a small number of parents thought could be improved.  The creative curriculum provides pupils with rich experiences, which capture pupils’ imagination, and promotes pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Every class participates in camping residential visits to Edinburgh, Durham or Keilder Forest. The Reception class are allowed to camp until 7.00pm before being collected by parents. These experiences are enjoyed and appreciated by pupils.  The outdoor area in the Early Years Foundation Stage does not provide the same good opportunities to encourage learning as the indoor area provides.  The pupil premium funding is being used effectively to support pupils who have difficulty in

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The leadership and management requires improvement

reading, with extra support staff to make learning for the some disadvantaged pupils more effective. Those pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium in Key Stage 1 have made the most significant gains in reading in 2012 compared to the previous year.  The local authority provides effective support for the school. Recently this has been in the form of joint lesson observations with senior staff and in work to develop subject leaders’ expertise, both of which are beginning to take effect.  The school has the capacity to improve further.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  the school’s self-evaluation is accurate and governors are aware of its strengths and some of the areas in need of development  the governing body has gone through substantial changes in its composition recently with a number of new appointments. These appointees recognise the importance of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

their work and are enthusiastic to equip themselves with the necessary skills to better hold the school to account.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 114210 Local authority Durham Inspection number 401413

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 456 Appropriate authority The Governing Body Chair Mrs Jakki Colwill Headteacher Mr David Loomes Date of previous school inspection June 2010 Telephone number 0191 5270293 Fax number 0191 5273563 Email address easingtoncoll.portal@durhamlearning.net guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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School details

please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

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

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