Fell Dyke Community Primary School

Fell Dyke Community Primary School Springwell Road, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE9 7AA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  All staff are uncompromising in their drive and determination to secure the best possible experiences for pupils; as a consequence pupils’ achievement is outstanding.  Children enter the school with skills that are well below those typical for their age. Pupils make outstanding progress as they move through the school. By the end of Year 6 they reach standards that are significantly well above the national average.  Teaching is outstanding and nothing is less than consistently good. Lessons are exceptionally well planned and meet the needs of all groups of pupils. Teachers use innovative methods to inspire pupils and this helps them to learn quickly.  Highly skilled teaching assistants provide outstanding support both in and out of lessons, enabling those pupils who have specific needs to make the same progress as other pupils.  Behaviour is exemplary in this cohesive school

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

community, relationships are strong and pupils are exceptionally well cared for. The school is rigorous in promoting pupils’ personal development; as a result, pupils have an outstanding understanding of how to stay safe in many different situations.  The school provides a curriculum that meets pupils’ needs exceptionally well. It motivates pupils, widens their horizons and enables them to learn through extensive creative opportunities both in and out of the classroom.  The headteacher provides inspirational and dynamic leadership and expects the very best from staff and pupils. She is exceptionally well supported by a strong leadership team and a very committed staff and governors.  The school constantly checks its effectiveness; clear plans and swift action by leaders secure ongoing improvement. As a result, inspectors found no areas needing improvement other than those identified by the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 35 lessons or parts of lessons of which three were joint observations with the headteacher. Inspectors observed groups of pupils working with teaching assistants and listened to pupils from different year groups read.  Inspectors talked to a range of pupils including the school council about their work and play in the school.  Meetings were held with two governors as well as teaching staff, including senior and middle leaders; discussions were held with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 37 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). They also considered the school’s parent questionnaires and staff questionnaires. Four parents also sent written information to the inspection team about the support given to their children.  Inspectors observed the overall work of the school and looked at a number of documents including the school’s data about pupils’ current progress. They also looked at documents

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Information about this inspection

relating to safeguarding, governance, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors looked at a range of other evidence including school displays, its website and evidence representing the school’s wider achievements beyond the classroom.

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Inspection team

David Shearsmith, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Philip Scott Additional Inspector Carol Gater Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average sized primary school.  A well above average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action, at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  Almost all pupils are of White British Heritage, although there is an increasing number of pupils who are believed to have English as an additional language.  The school has achieved the Basic Skills Quality Mark, Gold Artsmark and Inclusion Standard Awards.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school has a breakfast club managed by the governing body.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is taught in two Reception classes and a separate Nursery sharing the same outdoor learning area.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 There are no areas for improvement. The school should continue with the identified plans, and actions taken, that are already in place and leading to improvement.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children enter Nursery with skills that are well below those typical for their age. They make outstanding progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage as their personal needs are well met immediately they enter the school. They are also provided with rich and exciting classrooms in which to learn; this promotes their English and mathematical skills extremely well.  Pupils achieve outstandingly well both academically and personally. Teachers plan lessons exceptionally well and set challenging targets for pupils to achieve in their work; consequently, from their starting points all groups of pupils make rapid and sustained progress. No one falls behind.  By the end of Year 2 pupils reach standards that are broadly average compared with other pupils in the country. Over the past three years pupils have left Year 6 with standards, overall, that are significantly well above the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) has a very positive impact on pupils’ progress in reading. As a result, pupils reach broadly average standards by the end of Year 2. In Key Stage 2 the teaching of reading is also highly effective and continues to accelerate pupils’ progress so that by the time they leave Year 6 standards in reading are well above average.  Pupils make outstanding progress in mathematics. Teachers are extremely skilful in ensuring that pupils gain a strong grasp of basic mathematical concepts and can use their mathematical skills to solve a variety of real-life problems.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium get extensive support to raise their expectations of what they can achieve. Excellent support from highly skilled teaching assistants ensures their attainment and progress are similar to that of other pupils.  Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and looked after pupils are exceptionally

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

well catered for. The school is highly effective at meeting their needs by ensuring that work is closely matched to their ability. Consequently, they make outstanding progress compared to similar pupils across the country.  The increasing number of pupils who are believed to have English as an additional language also make outstanding progress. This is because the school has responded rapidly to their needs by developing staff skills to support and guide their learning extremely well.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is outstanding and never less than consistently good. Teachers are highly effective at meeting the needs of all groups of pupils. They thoroughly and regularly check pupils’ learning and plan activities that motivate pupils to want to learn. Pupils make rapid and sustained progress as they try their very best at all times.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is highly effective in developing children’s speaking and listening skills. This was apparent in a Reception class, where the teacher carefully intervened during children’s play. She successfully increased the range of words they knew and extended their learning through carefully crafted questions that raised their understanding and rate of progress.  Teachers’ questioning helps to extend pupils’ understanding exceptionally well. Teachers intervene, where necessary, to deal with pupils’ misconceptions or to provide very useful

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

feedback so that learning is outstanding.  Teachers use cutting-edge strategies to help extend pupils’ learning in mathematics. High-quality investigations give pupils the chance to thoroughly explore their knowledge and understanding of mathematics as well as using their basic calculation skills. This was shown in a lesson in Year 4, when pupils were challenged to work out how long it took a frog to climb out of a well. Pupils used a range of strategies and skills to solve the problem and made excellent progress.  Teachers frequently use innovative approaches to capture and enthuse pupils. For example, in Year 1 pupils were given a problem to solve concerning sharing carrots with a number of horses. The teacher set the scene with a story that enticed pupils to learn. She effectively extended their learning so that one pupil was very excited when he solved the problem using multiples of 4 from his 4 times table.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of marking and feedback to pupils is consistently outstanding. Pupils are given clear points for improvement and time to improve their work. This very effectively improves pupils’ skills and ensures they make better progress.  All staff have a very good knowledge of how to teach the skills of reading. The teaching of reading through systems such as ‘Every Child a Reader’ has ensured that the school meets every pupil’s needs so that they become confident readers.  Experienced and very skilled teaching assistants make a very positive contribution to pupils’ outstanding learning and progress both in and out of lessons. They work very flexibly with pupils across the school and use an extensive range of teaching methods to help increase pupils’ understanding and skills.  Teachers structure their lessons so that pupils are encouraged to work with each other in order to discuss their learning. They are provided with rich experiences that make learning exciting,

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

promoting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to this caring community school where every pupil is valued as an individual. The school is rigorous in ensuring that pupils’ personal needs are well catered for and that their welfare is at the heart of the school’s work.  Behaviour is exemplary both in and out of lessons as the school promotes pupils’ personal development exceptionally well throughout its curriculum. Pupils are very eager to learn; they work independently and with confidence.  The school has a wide range of robust strategies to promote attendance and punctuality. For example, the school’s rigorous drive to improve attendance, through texting parents, is having a very positive impact. As a result, attendance is above average over time.  Pupils have an extensive knowledge of how to stay safe. They take responsibility for their own safety from an early age. For example, Reception class children conduct their own safety checks

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

using a clip board during their lessons. Pupils also have regular updates on how to stay safe on the internet and from regular visitors to the school who talk to them about keeping safe.  Pupils have an outstanding understanding of the different forms of bullying. Pupils state very confidently that if any bullying did occur all staff would support them in resolving it.  Relationships across the school are very strong. It is an extremely caring school that ensures each and every person is respected as an individual, whatever their needs.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is paramount to the work of the school. It provides excellent opportunities for pupils to reflect on their learning and behaviour. Pupils very clearly understand right from wrong.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher provides strong and highly effective leadership that ensures all pupils achieve exceptionally well. She is supported extremely well by a very dedicated team of staff and senior leaders. All are ambitious for the school and pursue excellence in everything they do to support pupils’ learning and progress.  The school is very rigorous in checking on its effectiveness. It uses data, pupil progress meetings, lesson observations and checks on pupils’ progress in their books to see how well it is doing. This information is then used rapidly to inform what needs to happen next to improve the school further. The school also ensures it is innovative in its work, quickly looking for next steps for improvement. As a result, inspectors found no areas needing improvement other than those identified by the school.  The school evaluates the performance of teachers and other staff rigorously. Increases in salary

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The leadership and management are outstanding

are clearly linked to improvements in teaching and pupils’ progress. The development needs of individual staff are also very well met through training and coaching to help improve their skills to the highest levels. As a consequence, since the last inspection there have been significant improvements to the quality of teaching and learning and the progress made by all groups of pupils.  The curriculum provides rich and innovative approaches to learning which ensure that pupils are enthused to learn. An exceptionally wide range of experiences, tailored to the needs of all groups of pupils, is provided. Pupils’ aspirations are raised through themes such as 'the world of work’. Cultural experiences are far-reaching to Africa and Egypt. Strong emphasis on their local heritage is also evident. Opportunities for pupils to learn outside are extremely strong, ensuring all pupils have access to ‘forest schools learning’ which develops pupils’ understanding of the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

natural world through practical activities.  Relationships with parents are outstanding. The school provides many opportunities for parents to support their child’s learning through workshops and regular meetings. ‘Better reading partnership’ work has helped parents to support pupils with their reading. Partnerships are strong, making a very positive contribution to pupils’ achievements and supporting their personal development.  Safeguarding meets requirements as the school is very rigorous in ensuring pupils are safe, secure and well cared for.  The school has a very strong commitment to high levels of achievement for all its pupils who, consequently, have true equality of opportunity to achieve as well as they possibly can.  The local authority provides light-touch support to this outstanding school. It is seen as one of its ‘flagship schools’ and is used to exemplify outstanding practice.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Governors have a wide range of skills that enable them to support and challenge the school extremely well. They have an excellent understanding of the school’s data, the quality of teaching and overall performance. They are well trained and are very ambitious for the school and its pupils. Governors are very effective at monitoring the school’s performance and undertake regular visits to the school, including lesson observations and discussions with staff and pupils. As a result, they know its strengths and what needs to be done to improve the school further very well. The governing body manages its finances extremely well and rewards staff appropriately. They ensure that the pupil premium funding is used very effectively to ensure that the outcomes for these pupils are enhanced.

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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 is

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 108379 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 403063

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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 268 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Gallon Headteacher Belita Scott Date of previous school inspection 13 November 2007 Telephone number 0191 433 4111 Fax number 0191 433 4110 Email address FellDykeCommunityPrimarySchool@gateshead.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, please

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School details

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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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