Colegate Community Primary School

Colegate Community Primary School Colegate West, Leam Lane Estate, Felling, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE10 9AH

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Since the previous inspection, achievement, teaching, behaviour and safety, and leadership and management have all improved as a result of the strong leadership from the headteacher supported by other leaders, managers and the governing body.  Improvement is a result of the thorough knowledge of what is happening in classrooms and the extra help given to those who need it. Pupils who have special educational needs are supported well.  Pupils make good progress throughout the school and achieve well. From a well below average starting point, they reach standards that are similar to national levels.  Teaching is good and is sometimes outstanding. It is particularly strong in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Years 5 and 6.  Behaviour is a real strength of the school. Around the school, pupils are unfailingly courteous and polite and are very proud of their school. They enjoy learning and always

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

try hard to do their best.  Pupils say they feel safe and teachers and parents agree that this is a safe school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching across the school.  In some lessons, some teaching assistants give pupils too much help, which means that those pupils do not learn as much as they should.  In a few lessons in Key Stages 1 and 2, planning does not always meet the more-able pupils’ needs. This sometimes results in work that is too easy for some pupils so they do not make as much progress as they should.  In some lessons, pupils do not have enough opportunities to find things out for themselves.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons, one of which was a joint observation with a senior member of staff. Inspectors also heard pupils read in Years 2 and 6.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils and to parents as they met their children at the end of the school day. They took account of four responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and also to 25 questionnaires completed by the staff.  They held meetings with two groups of pupils including members of the school council, two members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. They also had discussions with senior leaders including the special educational needs coordinator and the leader of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  They observed the school at work and looked at a range of documentation, including internal and external data relating to pupils’ progress, pupils’ workbooks, school improvement planning and the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance. They also

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Information about this inspection

considered reports written by the local authority, minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding and child protection documentation.

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Inspection team

Peter Evea, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Patrick Hargreaves Additional Inspector Barbara Waugh Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority and pupils from service families is well above average.  The majority of pupils are White British and there are few who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above 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 standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics).  Colegate Community Primary School is a nationally-accredited Healthy School and holds the Activemark Gold award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  making sure the challenge for the more-able pupils is consistently good in Key Stages 1 and 2  ensuring pupils have enough opportunities to find things out for themselves  extending across the school the sharing of exemplary practice in the classroom  developing further the skills of teaching assistants so that they help pupils to make faster progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills which are well below those typical for their age, particularly their communication and language skills and their personal, social and emotional development. They make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes and reach just below average standards by the time they enter Year 1. Children make a good start in recognising the sounds that letters make.  Good progress continues across Key Stage 1 where pupils continue to develop their skills in reading and writing as they use their increasing knowledge of phonics (letters and sounds). They accurately sound out unfamiliar words and understand and enjoy what they read. They also develop their mathematical skills.  Most pupils make good progress in English and mathematics in Key Stage 2. Since the previous inspection, attainment at the end of Year 6 has improved and is now just below national averages.  Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make more progress in Key Stage 2 than those

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The achievement of pupils is good

who are not eligible.  Some of the more-able pupils do not make as much progress as they should because the work planned is sometimes too easy for them and because some teaching assistants give pupils too much help.  Pupils extend their learning well through the skilful use of computers. For example, when a Year 6 class used laptops for research and a visualiser for peer assessment, they could give each other advice about how to improve their writing before it was finished.  Pupils’ attainment in writing has improved because pupils have good opportunities to use their skills in other subjects, such as during their learning about volcanoes in Year 4.  Pupils who are entitled to support through the pupil premium make better progress than other groups in English and mathematics as a result of the support put in place for them. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils as a result

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The achievement of pupils is good

of the appropriate support they receive.  Pupils supported through school action do not make as much progress as others. The school identifies some pupils who have made only slow progress as having a special educational need when there are other reasons why they have fallen behind. Pupils correctly identified as needing support through school action make progress that is similar to those who do not.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding.  The rigorous tracking and monitoring of pupils’ progress across the school means that teachers have enough accurate information to plan well for the learning of different groups. However, they do not always provide enough challenge for some of the more-able pupils and this slows their learning.  Teachers question pupils well and use the information gathered to inform their planning.  Assessment is accurate, especially in the Early Years Foundation Stage where it is based on astute observations of children.  Most teaching assistants are deployed well and they are well informed about the needs of particular pupils and so can purposefully intervene to support learning. Where less effective, some teaching assistants provide too much support and pupils become dependent on their help which slows their progress.  Teachers use resources well and pupils enjoy using information and communication technology

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The quality of teaching is good

(ICT), for example, to find out about Chembakoli, a village in India, in order to write a non- chronological report. They were then encouraged to use ICT to share their work with others so that it could be improved.  However, teachers do not consistently plan opportunities for pupils to find things out for themselves and this inhibits the development of their independent learning at times.  Teachers’ strong subject knowledge in English and mathematics gives pupils confidence that they will be able to make progress in their learning. In a Year 1 class, for instance, pupils tackled problems in counting the difference between numbers with enthusiasm and accuracy.  In most activities, learning is well matched to pupils’ needs as, for example, in a mixed Year 5/6 lesson where pupils were challenged to simplify fractions. A group of less-able pupils were able to take part in the main learning because of the support provided.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In most lessons, time is used well. Teachers make sure that the rate of learning is brisk.  Teachers establish very strong working relationships with pupils. A typical comment from pupils was, ‘Teachers really help you to learn and make it fun.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 In lessons and around the school, pupils are unfailingly polite and friendly. They talk about how well they get on together.  Pupils show very positive attitudes, are eager to learn and keen to cooperate. Behaviour is almost always impeccable and this allows pupils to learn well. For example, in the Reception class, inspectors observed children organising their own learning and helping each other. In a Year 5/6 lesson, groups of pupils were adept at learning together and used the teacher as a last resort when help was needed.  At lunchtimes, pupils are very well mannered, polite and provide excellent company. They are a ready source of information about their school, of which they are very proud.  Pupils readily take on roles of responsibility, such as buddies and monitors, and take these very seriously.  Pupils have led the successful development and running of the ‘book- lending library’ which is

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

growing rapidly.  They are highly aware of how to keep safe and very clearly say they feel safe in school. They show a good knowledge of e-safety.  Pupils say that bullying in any form is rare and if it happened it would be quickly dealt with. Parents and staff agree. There have been no recent exclusions and no recorded racist incidents.  Attendance is above average and has improved. There is little persistent absenteeism because the school leaders are tenacious in tackling any.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils are involved in creating their code of behaviour. They have a good understanding of cultures and religions which are different from their own. The importance of respect is modelled and reinforced by all adults and is seen in the excellent ways that pupils treat each other.  Pupils benefit from a rich curriculum and a wide range of after-school clubs and sports activities.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

These contribute to the very high standards of behaviour because many pupils are very interested in what they are doing and appreciate the opportunities they are given.

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The leadership and management are good

 The staff are a unified and highly motivated team. They are led by a determined and highly effective headteacher who is, in turn, supported by an equally effective leadership team.  There is some exemplary teaching but this is not routinely shared across the whole school staff.  Staff have access to a range of appropriate professional development and, as a result, teaching continues to improve.  Expectations are high and the clear vision shown by the headteacher is shared by staff and governors.  Middle leaders are assuming greater responsibility for school improvement and their ability to lead has improved since the last inspection. Teachers at all levels now make suggestions about how the school could improve further.  Rigorous tracking identifies gaps in pupils’ achievement and so it is rare for pupils to fall behind. If any do, staff take prompt steps to make up the difference.  Strategies to check on the performance of the school, such as the frequent observation of

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The leadership and management are good

lessons, are very effective. This has led to the improvement in teaching and achievement since the last inspection, which indicates a strong capacity to improve further.  All staff promote equality of opportunity and all pupils have equal access to the different after- school clubs and activities.  Safeguarding and child protection policies and practice meet current requirements.  The local authority now provides light touch support which is valued by the school.  The governance of the school:  Governors are ambitious for the achievement of all pupils and taking a long-term approach to planning improvement. They are well informed about the quality of teaching and what the information provided by the school is telling them. Governors regularly challenge the senior leadership team in relation to the targets that have been set. They are familiar with national Teacher Standards and use these to help manage teachers’ performance. They aspire for the

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The leadership and management are good

school to become outstanding and are actively involved in supporting the school in its improvement. The governing body oversees the arrangements for the spending of pupil premium funding and is aware of the impact of this spending on pupils’ achievement.

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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 108375 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 405164

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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 263 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Napier Headteacher Matthew Younger Date of previous school inspection 3 November 2010 Telephone number 0191 420 6626 Fax number 0191 420 6616 Email address colegatecommunityprimaryschool@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

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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