Albany Village Primary School

Albany Village Primary School Crossgill, Albany, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE37 1UA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics has improved to be in line with the national average.  The majority of pupils learn well and make good progress by the end of Key Stage 2.  Teaching is good overall. Teachers provide a curriculum which engages pupils and motivates them to learn.  Pupils feel very safe. They enjoy school and show positive attitudes to learning. They work well together because of their good relationships with teachers and other pupils.  Leadership and management are good. Rigorous self-evaluation and school development strongly support actions which improve outcomes for pupils and enhance the quality of teaching.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although progress is good overall, progress in reading and mathematics is not as rapid as that in writing.  Expectations for pupils’ in reading and mathematics are not yet sufficiently challenging.  Although teaching is good, too few lessons are outstanding.  Some introductions to lessons lack the flexibility to meet the needs of all pupils.  Pupils are too little involved in setting their learning targets and in assessing how well they are progressing in meeting them.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons of which two were joint observations with senior and middle leaders. In addition, the inspection team made a number of other short visits to lessons and listened to reading.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the governing body and staff. A conversation was held with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection.  They observed the school’s work and took into account the work in pupils’ books, the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Kate Pringle, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Clare Coburn Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 In this average sized primary school the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is much higher than the national average.  There are few pupils on roll from minority ethnic groups and the proportion who speak English as an additional language is low.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average. Their needs mainly relate to moderate learning and speech and communication difficulties.  The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the governments’ current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school holds the Anti-Bullying Chartermark, the International Schools award and Healthy School status.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement across the school ensuring consistently good and better progress, especially in reading and mathematics, by:  raising expectations of pupils’ achievement, especially in reading and mathematics  better using the information about pupils’ attainment and progress to ensure even more rapid progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Embed good quality teaching and increase the proportion of outstanding teaching, by:  better the needs of all pupils in the introductions to lessons  promoting pupils’ independence and responsibility for their own learning by giving them more involvement in setting their targets for improvement and in assessing their progress towards meeting those targets.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills below those expected for their age. However, skills in calculation and space, shape and measures and in reading are largely well below expectations. The majority of children make good progress and leave the Reception class with attainment in line with expectations.  Attainment across Key Stage 1 has vastly improved over recent years from standards which were significantly below average to those in line with national averages in reading and mathematics. Standards are higher in writing.  Similar good progress from their starting points has raised Key Stage 2 pupils’ attainment to the national averages in reading and mathematics, and to above average in writing.  Overall, pupils make good progress from their low starting points. Progress in reading and mathematics is not yet as rapid as that in writing, which shows considerable improvement due

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The achievement of pupils is good

to the strong focus on this subject in recent years.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve equally as well as others given their starting points because appropriate interventions and support are used effectively to address their individual needs.  The targeted use of the additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium has been particularly successful and a good proportion of this group having made good or better progress now achieve in line with other pupils in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and this has ensured pupils’ overall good progress.  Pupils enjoy school. They behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They engage well in lessons: listening attentively, addressing tasks eagerly and thoroughly enjoying the practical curriculum teachers provide.  One outstanding lesson observed enthused pupils as they used their reading and comprehension skills to follow instructions to make an active volcano learning about the chemical reaction between acids and alkaline materials.  Teachers use a range of strategies to introduce new concepts, including the effective use of interactive white boards. Pupils are adept at using a range of information and communication technology which extend the range of the ways in which they learn.  Where teaching is good the pace of learning is brisk. Teachers understand the needs of pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

well and ensure that activities are matched to needs. Tasks provide the right levels of challenge and pupils’ learning progresses well. The work of teaching assistants is well directed and helps pupils to learn effectively. In lessons where teaching is less effective there is too much teacher direction and the needs of different pupils are not met so well because teachers do not always use the information they have about pupils’ attainment and progress to ensure pupils’ good progress. At times, teachers’ introductions to lessons take too little note of the needs of different ability groups and make insufficient use of the skills and support of teaching assistants.  Strategies to secure rapid progress in reading and mathematics are not yet as secure as those used in writing.  Marking follows agreed practice and is largely consistent. Teachers provide good feedback to pupils and provide them with opportunities to return to work and correct, or improve, their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

This practice is better in writing than in mathematics.  Pupils recognise that they have targets to improve but have little involvement in setting these or responsibility for assessing how well they are meeting them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 This school provides a highly positive and happy atmosphere in which pupils play and learn together. They are polite and well mannered as they talk enthusiastically about their school, their friendships and the experiences for learning.  Pupils feel very safe. They understand the differing forms of bullying and say that this is rare. They are secure in that they know who to turn to should they be concerned and that staff deal with any problems quickly and effectively.  Parent View and the school’s own questionnaires indicate that parents feel that the school is happy and safe. Parents indicate that there are good links with the school and that the good lines of communication ensure that difficulties are rapidly addressed.  Strong systems to deal with inappropriate behaviour are successful because they are shared with pupils and their parents. Pupils have a good sense of right and wrong and use their

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

knowledge to respect themselves and others. They understand that the lifestyles of differing communities contribute to the rich diversity of society and this contributes to their understanding of their role as a good citizen.  Attendance is now in line with national average. The work to ensure pupils are in school has been highly effective so much so that most recent data indicates high levels of attendance. The proportion of pupils with persistent absence is now low.

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The leadership and management are good

 This school has come far over recent years. Led by an aspirational headteacher and the deputy headteacher, the school is supported by a highly effective governing body. Together, this team has secured good improvement.  The relentless focus upon teaching and learning is closely linked to outcomes for pupils, and staff now share the high expectations of leader and managers. They are well motivated to improve their own practice.  Tracking of pupils’ progress is rigorous. Teachers use this information effectively to identify groups making insufficient progress and generally provide appropriate support through a range of strategies and interventions, making good use of teaching assistants.  Pupil premium funding has been successfully allocated to ensure that pupils supported in this way progress as well as other pupils. This group now achieves in line with their peers nationally.  The local authority has worked very successfully with leaders and managers over recent years.

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The leadership and management are good

Its high level of expectation and challenge combined with clearly targeted support through professional development and focused monitoring, are reflected in the good improvement to pupils’ outcomes and to the quality of provision.  Self-evaluation is rigorous. Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and strategic developments are planned to address identified weaknesses. The monitoring of lessons is of very high quality and this leads to highly focused professional development for teachers which is reflected in the rising quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils.  The performance management of teachers and teaching assistants is robust. Staff are well supported to progress to higher professional levels and promotion.  Senior leaders have developed considerable management skills over recent years which they are now in the process of training other leaders to acquire. Some middle managers have developed

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The leadership and management are good

their leadership role more than others but all have a genuine commitment towards developing their responsibilities in order to strengthen the capacity of the school to improve further.  The good progress demonstrated by different groups of pupils reflects the successful promotion of equal opportunities. Most pupils make good progress from their starting points but attainment in reading and mathematics remains lower than that in writing.  In this highly inclusive school, a good curriculum provides learning opportunities which are increasingly practical and active. There are strong links with writing across the curriculum and present actions are improving similar links for reading and mathematics. A good range of additional activities, including residential visits, increase pupils’ experiences of the wider world and the different opportunities it can offer them.  Developing links with the local community and further afield are enhancing pupils’ understanding

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The leadership and management are good

of society and the opportunities it offers. Pupils’ good understanding of right and wrong impacts positively upon their relationships with others.  The governance of the school:  Governors have positive and effective relationships with school leaders and the local authority which contribute well to school improvement.  The governing body ensures that safeguarding procedures are rigorous and well documented.  The governing body constantly challenges school leaders to improve provision and outcomes for pupils.  Governors take every opportunity to hone their own skills in order to monitor and evaluate the school’s work rigorously.

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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 pupil’s 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 pupil’s 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 131036 Local authority Sunderland Inspection number 406407

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 225 Appropriate authority Sunderland Chair Simon Tate Headteacher Christine Brown Date of previous school inspection 9 February 2011 Telephone number 0191 2193650 Fax number 0191 2193655 Email address albany.village.primary@schools.sunderland.gov.uk 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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