Toner Avenue Primary School

Toner Avenue School Johnston Avenue, Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, NE31 2LJ

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  The school’s effectiveness has declined since its previous inspection.  Pupils’ achievement is inadequate because there is too much weak teaching and not enough that is good or better.  Too many pupils do not make enough progress. Pupils’ standards at the end of Year 6 are too low in reading, writing and mathematics.  School leaders have not used performance management effectively to improve the quality of teaching.  Where teaching is weak, pupils lose interest and concentration and this reduces their progress.  The curriculum throughout the school is not well matched to pupils’ needs and interests. It does not build their knowledge and skills in a systematic way, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.  A lack of robust financial management has resulted in the school having a deficit budget.  The poor quality resources, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage, hinder teaching

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

staff from providing creative and exciting lessons.  Until very recently, governors have not provided an acceptable level of challenge and have not held the leaders and managers to account. This has contributed strongly to the school’s decline since the last inspection.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 The new headteacher has a clear and accurate view of what the school has to do and has already taken steps to begin to make the necessary improvements.  Pupils get on well together, show respect to all adults and take pride in the way they present work in their books.  Most parents are supportive of the school.  Very recent improvements in identifying pupils who need additional support have been effective. A small number of pupils who have fallen behind in their reading have made excellent progress in a short period of time.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 20 lessons. In addition, the inspection team heard pupils read and looked at the work in their books.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the chair of the governing body, two other governors and the staff of the school.  Inspectors took into account the 17 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and also a recent survey of parents’ views conducted by the school.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, documents relating to planning for improvement and procedures for checking the quality of teaching, documents relating to safeguarding, and records relating to behaviour and attendance.

p.2

Inspection team

Barbara Hudson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Anne Firth Additional Inspector Karen Holmes Additional Inspector

p.2

Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

p.3

Information about this school

 This is an above average sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the Pupil Premium (additional funding for pupils who are in the care of the local authority, children of service families or who are eligible for free school meals) is well above average.  The vast majority of pupils are from a White British background.  The proportion of pupils supported through School Action is average. The proportion of pupils supported at School Action Plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Over the last two years the school has experienced numerous staffing difficulties.  The local authority has issued the school with a formal warning notice and has appointed additional governors with the aim of strengthening governance.

p.3

Information about this school

 The current headteacher took up his post nine weeks before the inspection.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards and accelerate pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics by eradicating inadequate teaching and significantly increasing the proportion of good or better teaching by April 2013 by:  developing teachers’ use of information about what pupils have learnt in reading, writing and mathematics so that the work they give pupils to do is not too hard and not too easy  providing pupils with interesting lessons which capture their motivation and willingness to learn  ensuring opportunities are identified across all curriculum areas for pupils to apply and develop their writing and mathematical skills systematically  making sure that pupils consistently receive good quality guidance on what they need to do to improve their work and that they are given time to make the improvements needed.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by:  completing the planned appointment of a deputy headteacher as soon as possible

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 improving and developing the skills of teachers who lead and manage subjects  ensuring the quality of teaching is rigorously checked, robustly analysed and assessed against the progress pupils make and their standards of attainment  ensuring performance management is effectively used to improve the quality of teaching  developing the curriculum in all key stages, so it better meets the needs and interests of pupils and builds up their skills systematically  improving the resources for learning across the school but particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage to enable teachers to provide creative and exciting lessons in both the indoor and outdoor learning areas.  Improve the effectiveness of the governing body by:  ensuring the systems used by the governing body to keep a close check on the school’s finances are sufficiently robust  ensuring that there is a leadership structure in place that can deal with the problems the

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

school faces  developing the skills of governors so that they can challenge the leaders about the quality of teaching and pupils’ standards and progress by April 2013  ensuring governors can form an accurate picture of the current position of the school and know precisely the priorities for improvement by April 2013.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Standards have fallen over the last three years and are currently very low. The gap between the pupils’ attainment in this school compared with pupils nationally has increased.  Most children start school with skills that are below those typically expected for their age. From these starting points, all groups of pupils make inadequate progress because of too little good teaching. As a result, their achievement is inadequate.  Although pupils’ work is well presented in their books, their progress is poor because the work they are given to do in lessons is mostly a series of exercises that are not linked together and, therefore, does not help pupils to build up their writing and mathematical skills.  The school’s own information about pupils’ progress shows that too few make the progress expected of them. Until very recently the information had not been rigorously analysed and used effectively to help teachers improve pupils’ progress.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Pupils supported by the Pupil Premium make the same poor progress as other groups of pupils in the school. Their progress in mathematics is significantly weaker than that of pupils nationally, and is poorer than their progress in English.  The progress of pupils supported through School Action and School Action Plus is inadequate overall. It is better in English because pupils are provided with more additional work but in mathematics their progress is slow. This shows that the school has not effectively helped all groups of pupils to achieve as well as they should.  Very recent signs of improvement in progress are evident for a small number of pupils who have fallen behind in their reading. The pupils who have received four weeks of intensive teaching in reading have increased their reading age by six months or more.

p.5

The quality of teaching is inadequate

 As a result of weak teaching in all key stages pupils make inadequate progress. Too little teaching is good or better and some is inadequate. The quality of teaching is variable in each key stage but overall it is not enabling pupils to make the progress they should.  In the majority of lessons, teaching does not help pupils to learn as well as they could because:  teachers do not expect enough from the pupils  teachers do not plan lessons that build upon what pupils already know and what they need to learn next  too often pupils are given work that is too easy or too hard  pupils do not practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills enough in other subjects  pupils are not always provided with good quality guidance on how to improve their work and the time to incorporate their improvements into their work  lessons are often uninspiring and pupils lose interest and do not learn effectively.

p.5

The quality of teaching is inadequate

 In the small minority of lessons that are good, teachers build upon pupils’ previous learning and plan lessons to make sure that all pupils are given work that is not too difficult and not too hard. The activities that pupils are given to do are interesting and pupils are very keen to learn and do their best. For example, in a Year 3 mathematics lesson, pupils used their previous knowledge to solve problems expressed in words and then were challenged to solve more complex problems using the systems that they had just practised.  The new headteacher is using procedures for managing teachers’ performance to begin to improve the quality of teaching.  Pupils’ good personal and social development is supported by the very positive relationships they have with staff and each other.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Where teaching is good, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Where teaching is weaker some pupils lose interest and concentration; this adversely affects their progress.  Most pupils are courteous, friendly and welcoming. They say that they feel safe in the school and appreciate the support they receive from teaching staff. Incidents of bullying and those of a racist nature are very rare and when they do occur they are dealt with effectively. Although few parents responded to Parent View, nearly all who did feel that their child is happy at the school.  Attendance rates are above the national average.  The number of times pupils have been temporarily excluded has recently reduced. This is because reviewed procedures for rewarding good behaviour and applying consequences for poor behaviour are being implemented well.

p.6

The leadership and management are inadequate

 A lack of stability, direction and vision at all levels of leadership has resulted in failure to secure and sustain improvement since the previous inspection two years ago. The local authority has, therefore, intervened and the good work that they have done to make senior leaders and the governing body aware of the difficulties in the school is starting to have a positive impact.  A new headteacher has recently been appointed, but currently there is no deputy headteacher and the teachers who lead and manage subjects are only beginning to develop their responsibilities. This means that the ability of leaders to make the rapid improvements necessary is not as secure as it should be.  Until the local authority intervened, leaders’ and managers’ views of the school’s performance were unrealistic. In particular:  the checks and evaluation of the school’s work lacked rigour and accuracy, particularly with

p.6

The leadership and management are inadequate

regard to the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress  the issues identified at the last inspection were not addressed  standards have fallen and pupils’ progress has declined  improvements in the quality of teaching have not been secure and this has been made more difficult due to many changes in the teaching staff  there has been a lack of training for teachers, such as those who have responsibility for literacy and numeracy, to help them fulfil their responsibilities effectively.  Weaknesses in the curriculum are a key contributory factor to pupils’ poor progress. The curriculum in all key stages does not meet the needs and interests of the pupils. It lacks an organised way of helping pupils to build up their knowledge and practise their skills. Resources are often too old, and this contributes, but is not the only reason, for pupils being provided with too many mundane lessons. The poor resources are particularly noticeable in the Early Years

p.6

The leadership and management are inadequate

Foundation Stage.  Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. Appropriate policies and procedures are in place in relation to health and safety. The implementation of the policy and procedures for the promotion of equality is not robust enough.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is limited. Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to think about their work and mix with children from differing backgrounds.  Until recently, the school has not used the funds available to support pupils eligible for the Pupil Premium well enough. The recent use of these funds to provide additional support for pupils who have fallen behind in reading has been very successful.  The new headteacher has a very realistic view of the school’s weaknesses. Actions to address these weaknesses are now in place but it is too early to judge their impact.  The governance of the school  In recent years members of the governing body have been too accepting of the school’s view

p.6

The leadership and management are inadequate

of its performance. Until the local authority intervened they were unaware that pupils’ achievements and the quality of teaching were inadequate. They have not had the training or knowledge to enable them to hold the school to account effectively. The governing body has presided over the accumulation of a substantial budgetary deficit due to a lack of rigorous checks as to whether the school is getting consistently good value for money, including how the Pupil Premium funding is spent.

p.7

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 is

p.8

Grade Judgement Description

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 108704 Local authority South Tyneside Inspection number 405188

p.9

School details

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

p.9

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 257 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Malcolm Carr Headteacher Kevin Burns Date of previous school inspection 11 November 2010 Telephone number 0191 4202588 Fax number 0191 4203524 Email address head@toneravenue.s-tyneside.sch.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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, please

p.10

School details

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’.

p.10

School details

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

p.10