Hudson Road Primary School

Hudson Road Primary School Villiers Street South, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR1 2AH

p.1

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

p.1

This is a good school because

 The school has made very good progress since the previous inspection.  Most pupils make good progress in all subjects, including English and mathematics. Pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make outstanding progress.  Teaching is good. In Years 5 and 6, it is predominantly outstanding.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils feel very safe and are very eager to learn. Their attendance has recently improved from being below to above average.  The revised curriculum is providing pupils with interesting lessons. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is provided for well.  The inspirational headeacher has delegated well. This enables the staff and the governing body to improve their skills in order to provide a good quality, and sometimes better, education for pupils.  The senior leaders make a significant contribution to the school’s improvements.

p.1

This is a good school because

Staff who have a responsibility for a subject are successfully developing their skills.  The improvements in teaching since the previous inspection are due to the effective leadership, high quality professional development and the rigorous procedures to check on how well teaching is helping pupils to learn.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is too little outstanding teaching, other than in Years 5 and 6.  More-able pupils do not make enough progress in mathematics.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons, of which one was a joint observation with the headteacher. In addition, the inspection team made a number of other short visits to lessons, heard pupils reading and looked at the work in their books.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, three groups of staff and one group of parents.  Inspectors took account of the five responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection.  They observed the school’s work, and looked at a number of documents including the school’s own data on pupils’ progress, documents relating to the school’s planning for improvements, and its 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 Wendy Richardson Additional Inspector Jim Hall Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is an above average sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average. The proportion learning English as an additional language is well above average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well above average. The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement for special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the overall quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  using the expertise in the Year 5 and Year 6 classes to help the good teachers become even better  ensuring more-able pupils are always provided with hard enough work, particularly to promote their knowledge of letters and sounds to help them read unfamiliar words, and also in mathematics  ensuring a consistent approach to the marking of pupils’ work so that it helps them know what they have to do next to improve  using the assessments made in the Early Years Foundation Stage to provide well-focused activities for the children to choose from, both inside the classroom and outside.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the rate of progress for more- able pupils in mathematics by:  ensuring that pupils have work that is not too easy  ensuring pupils know what they have to do next to improve their mathematical skills  increasing their use of mathematical skills across the curriculum  using the school’s tracking system even more robustly to identify those pupils who have the potential to be higher achievers.

p.3

The achievement of pupils Good

 Since the previous inspection, the progress pupils make in lessons has improved rapidly. This is because the headteacher has insisted that pupils in this school can achieve very well. Many developments to help the teaching staff ensure all groups of pupils make good progress have been put in place and this has been rewarded with pupils’ standards rising quickly.  Most pupils achieve well in all subjects because teachers have the same high expectations in all subjects as they do in English and mathematics.  Pupils thrive in this caring and nurturing school which helps them to learn well. Most pupils become confident, highly motivated learners. Their attitudes to learning, particularly in Years 5 and 6, are exemplary.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get a good start to their school experiences. Children joining the Nursery class often do so with skills and knowledge that are well below

p.4

The achievement of pupils Good

those expected for their age. From these low starting points, all groups of pupils make good progress, particularly in their personal, social, physical and mathematical development. However, children’s progress in creative development, their knowledge of letters and sounds to help them read unfamiliar words and writing is not as strong as in other areas.  In Years 1 and 2, pupils build upon the good start that they have had in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics but standards are still below average by the end of Year 2. More-able pupils do not do quite as well in mathematics.  In Years 3 to 6, all pupils make good progress to reach average standards. Nearly all pupils achieve the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics and around a third of pupils are achieving better than the national expectations. Again, although they make good progress

p.4

The achievement of pupils Good

during these years, the gap between more-able pupils’ overall progress and that of similar pupils around the country, that developed in earlier years, has not been fully closed.  The progress of pupils supported at school action and school action plus and for those pupils learning English as an additional language is outstanding. This is because of the carefully tailored support they are given in lessons, in small groups and individually.  Pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium make the same good progress as other groups of pupils in the school. Consequently, the gap between these pupils’ attainment and all pupils’ average attainment is closing.

p.4

The quality of teaching Good

 The good quality teaching has led to the significant improvements in the progress pupils make. Teaching is predominantly good. However, there is still too little outstanding teaching observed across the school for teaching to be judged as outstanding overall. The outstanding teaching is predominantly in Years 5 and 6, with a small proportion in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Pupils and parents are very appreciative of the good quality teaching.  The strengths in the good teaching are:  the very positive relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils  teaching staff have high expectations for pupils and plan lessons that are focused on what they will learn  the well-practised routines that ensure little time for learning is lost  teaching staff know pupils well and the work they are given to do is usually not too hard and

p.4

The quality of teaching Good

not too easy  teaching staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through encouraging pupils to work with a partner or in small groups and celebrate their successes.  In outstanding lessons:  teachers constantly provide pupils with work that is always challenging  pupils have the confidence and enthusiasm to have a go at any challenge offered to them  usually pupils succeed but if they do not, they are supportive of each other and change the emphasis into what can they learn from what they have done wrong  teachers build on the skills pupils already have and develop new ones at a very fast rate.  In the very small proportion of lessons requiring improvement:  a small proportion of pupils become bored, lose concentration and begin to fidget  the more-able pupils are sometimes given work that is too easy for them  pupils do not always know how they can improve their work, particularly in mathematics.

p.4

The quality of teaching Good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. All teachers make positive comments which helps to build pupils’ self-esteem. The quality of marking is not always good, however. Not all teachers inform pupils how they can improve their work.  The assessment of children’s abilities in the Early Years Foundation Stage is not always used well enough to provide children with activities that bring out the best in them, either indoors or outside. This is most noticeable when children choose what they would like to do.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils Good

 Pupils are highly motivated and have very positive attitudes to work. They are very thoughtful and show great consideration for each other and adults. When talking to inspectors the pride that they have for their school and their achievements shone through.  Teachers’ high expectations, consistent approaches and their excellent explanations of what is expected, help pupils learn to behave so well.  In the outstanding and good lessons, pupils’ behaviour is excellent. In a very few lessons small group of pupils lose concentration and begin to fidget.  Adults respond particularly well to support and care for pupils, particularly those who have special educational needs.  Attendance and punctuality have recently improved from below to above average because senior leaders have been particularly rigorous in tackling these issues.  Pupils have a good understanding of the various forms of bullying. They say that when bullying

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils Good

does occur they feel that they can talk to an adult and that they will help them to sort out any problem.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe in school, the community and on the internet.  Parents and pupils say that behaviour is good in this school. Inspectors agree.

p.5

The leadership and management Good

 The inspirational headteacher, with the support of a very able deputy headteacher and senior leadership team, has worked tirelessly to create an effective team of staff and governors who have the ambition, determination and the expertise to continue to improve this good school.  The school places individual children at the centre of its work. It ensures that pupils feel very safe. Staff are very careful to ensure that everyone has equality of opportunity and that there is no discrimination. Pupils get along very well together.  Actions to improve the quality of teaching have been very effective. The investment in high quality professional development and the willingness of staff to take on and implement new ideas is ensuring that teaching is continually improving. This is also followed up with rigorous checks on the quality of teaching and effective feedback to help teaching staff to improve their

p.5

The leadership and management Good

work. This information is used very effectively in the performance management of teaching staff and the pay they receive.  The rigorous analysis of pupils’ progress and the standards they achieve is effective. Where weaknesses are found, the issues are tackled rigorously. A good example of this is the way in which the standards at the end of Year 6 have improved from significantly below national averages to average in less than two years.  Senior staff have interrogated data to identify potentially more-able pupils in writing and this has driven up standards. As yet, this rigour has not been applied in mathematics.  Staff who have responsibility for a subject are beginning to have an input into the school’s plans for improvement.  The school’s revised curriculum is much more interesting for both pupils and teachers. It provides many opportunities for pupils to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

p.6

The leadership and management Good

development. It is also helping to raise standards in all subjects. The very effective use of pupils’ writing in all areas of the curriculum is significantly contributing to the rise in standards in writing. Mathematical skills, however, are not well planned for or used across the curriculum.  The curriculum also provides pupils with many opportunities to see and work with people from various professions in order to raise pupils’ awareness of what they could do as a career. Music education is a strength in the school and this increases pupils’ self-confidence, particularly when they perform.  In the recent past, the local authority has provided substantial, effective, support for the school while it was improving pupils’ progress. The level of support has been substantially reduced to light touch because the school has made very good improvements.  The staff and governors are forging many very positive links with pupils’ parents and families.

p.6

The leadership and management Good

The vast majority of parents are very supportive of the school.  The governance of the school: – Through careful guidance by the headteacher, the governing body has a very clear view of how successful the school can be. Governors have a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The governing body has the determination and expertise to ask challenging questions, to hold senior leaders to account and to ensure that the school improves quickly. Governors’ good financial management ensures the school gets good value for money. The management of the pupil premium funding is rigorously evaluated to ensure that the staff and resources purchased are having a positive impact on pupils’ progress.

p.6

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.7

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.7

School details

Unique reference number 108772 Local authority Sunderland Inspection number 401012

p.8

School details

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

p.8

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 268 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Simon Henry Headteacher Mrs Cathy Westgate Date of previous school inspection 1 March 2010 Telephone number 0191 5537675 Fax number 0191 5537680 Email address hudson.road.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 .

p.8

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.9

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.9

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.9

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.9

School details

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

p.9