Seaton Delaval First School

Seaton Delaval First School Western Avenue, Seaton Delaval, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE25 0EP

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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’ achievement is good. Pupils make good progress from their starting points. Standards are now slightly above the expectations for their age when pupils leave Year 4.  Teaching is good overall and occasionally outstanding. Teachers use questions well and make it very clear to pupils what they are to learn. Teaching assistants are very skilled at teaching and supporting pupils’ learning.  The curriculum offers pupils many interesting opportunities to enjoy a range of subjects and contributes to their excellent cultural development.  The school offers excellent care and support and provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They care very well for one another and say they feel extremely safe. The school council is involved in drawing up rules to make behaviour even better. Attendance is average.  Subject leaders have introduced initiatives

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

which have improved teaching and speeded up pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The headteacher and the governing body have a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have acted decisively to tackle weak teaching. As a result, teaching has improved and attainment has risen. This is an improving school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 At the beginning and end of some lessons, when teachers are teaching the whole class together, the pace of learning is too slow and work is not hard enough for all pupils.  In some instances, when teachers mark work, they do not make it clear to pupils how to make their work better next time or allow time for pupils to act upon advice given.  Opportunities are missed for pupils to write at length and apply their mathematical skills in real-life, problem-solving situations in subjects across the curriculum.  Those leaders who are new to their roles are not fully skilled in holding teachers to account for pupils’ progress in their areas of responsibility.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors held meetings with staff, groups of pupils and the Chair and vice-chair of the Governing Body. The inspectors also spoke to the school’s local authority School Improvement Adviser.  The inspectors looked at a range of evidence including: the school’s improvement plan; the school’s data relating to pupils’ progress; monitoring reports; the work in pupils’ books; and the school’s documentation relating to safeguarding.  The inspectors observed teaching and learning in eight lessons taught by eight teachers and listened to groups of pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 read. In addition, the inspectors made a number of short visits to lessons.  Inspectors conducted one joint lesson observation with the headteacher. The inspectors also observed the headteacher reporting back to the teacher on his findings regarding the quality of learning and pupils’ achievement in the lesson.  The inspectors took into account the 26 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors also spoke to parents and analysed the school’s own questionnaire of parents’ views.  Eighteen staff completed questionnaires and the responses were analysed.  During the inspection Year 4 pupils were visiting the middle school they will be joining in September.

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Inspection team

Gordon Potter, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Barbara Hudson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well above average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  There are a morning club and many after-school clubs which are managed by the governing body.  There have been many changes to staffing in the current school year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently outstanding, to further raise standards and rates of pupils’ progress, by:  ensuring that during whole-class teaching sessions, for example at the beginning and end of lessons, teachers plan work that has a brisk pace and is hard enough for all pupils  ensuring that all teachers mark work for pupils in a way that helps pupils to do better next time and allows them time to act upon their advice  offering pupils even more opportunities to apply their skills in real-life, problem-solving activities that have more than one answer in mathematics, and in writing at length in subjects across the curriculum  improving the skills of those leaders who are new to their roles in holding staff to account for pupils’ progress in their areas of responsibility.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills that are well below those typically expected for their age. Pupils make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage as a result of teaching that is good and occasionally outstanding. There is effective teaching of how to link letters to the sounds they make, writing and calculation. They make further good progress in Key Stage 1. As a result, standards at the end of Year 2 are average in reading, writing and mathematics.  In 2012 the attainment at the end of Year 2 of those pupils who were known to be eligible for the pupil premium was half a year behind that of other pupils in the school in mathematics and two terms behind in English.  The school’s consistent focus on the learning needs of these pupils ensures they make the same good progress as is made by pupils who are not eligible for this additional funding. As a result, the gap between these pupils and other pupils in the school is closing. The school has done this

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The achievement of pupils is good

through clear tracking of their progress and successfully targeted support.  Standards at the end of Year 4 have typically been in line with national expectations for nine- year-olds, with pupils making slower progress in Years 3 and 4. Recent improvements to teaching in Years 3 and 4 have ensured that pupils currently in Year 4 have made good progress from their previous starting points and now have attainment which is slightly above that expected for their age.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are helped to make the same good progress as their classmates. This is as a result of the extremely well-targeted support and teaching they receive from teaching assistants and their teachers. This clearly shows the school’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities and tackling discrimination.  Inspection evidence shows that progress in reading is good and improving rapidly. This is a

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The achievement of pupils is good

result of a consistent focus on reading, and the development of pupils’ knowledge of how letters are linked to sounds helps them to read words they are not used to. There is a very effective focus in all classes on helping pupils to understand and enjoy books and read more often in school and at home.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good overall and has improved since the last inspection. While there are some examples of excellent practice, there are not enough to result in outstanding progress for pupils.  All lessons have interesting topics and a range of exciting activities that engage pupils. Teachers question pupils well and encourage them to talk through ideas and solve problems with their partners. Teachers are very skilful at explaining what pupils are to learn and lead them through ways to do tasks. Teachers use information about pupils’ skills and abilities effectively to plan work which stretches the most able pupils and gives them extra work that challenges them further during lessons.  All these excellent approaches were seen in a mathematics lesson for children in the Reception class. The teacher knew exactly at what level the children were working; she questioned them to test their understanding and to extend their learning. Work was well matched to children’s

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The quality of teaching is good

individual skills and abilities so that they were stretched and motivated to attempt new tasks, for example exploring Venn diagrams. As a result, children made rapid progress in their learning.  Despite this excellent teaching of mathematical skills, there are too few opportunities for pupils to practise these skills in solving challenging problems related to everyday life in mathematics lessons and in other subjects.  Occasionally, when teachers are teaching the whole class together, for example at the beginning and end of lessons, the pace of learning is too slow and work is not hard enough for all pupils.  There is also good teaching of writing. In the class for pupils in Year 2 the teacher ensured learning in the main part of the lesson moved at a brisk pace. She used information and communication technology well to excite pupils, involving them in reading tongue-twisters and making it clear how to write them. She extended the understanding of those who had grasped

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The quality of teaching is good

the concept by offering extra challenge in their use of alliteration.  Teachers use pupils’ reading, visits and topic work as the starting point for writing activities. For example, pupils wrote letters to the Prime Minister asking that he support education in the developing world. However, opportunities of this sort are sometimes missed and there are too few chances for pupils to write at length in subjects across the curriculum. Accordingly, progress in writing is good rather than outstanding.  Teachers use targets extremely well so that older pupils know very clearly what they need to do to reach the next level in their work. Pupils’ work is regularly marked and while there is good practice in most classes, not all teachers make it clear to pupils how they can improve their work or give pupils time to act upon any advice that is given.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 While pupils expressed concerns about the behaviour of a few pupils in their lessons, good and occasionally excellent behaviour was evident in lessons and around the school during the inspection. Indeed, the school’s records of behaviour show that the behaviour of the vast majority of pupils has been good in the past three years.  The needs of a very small number of pupils who have significant behavioural problems are very well managed by the school. This is the result of a consistent approach to behaviour management across the school. As a result, there has been only one, unavoidable, fixed-term exclusion in recent years.  Pupils feel very safe and are aware of different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying and name-calling. They are very clear that any form of bullying is rare and, when it does happen, they are confident that it will be quickly dealt with by `the playground squad’, ‘buddies’ or

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

adults. They are very polite to adults, respect one another, and work and play well together.  They develop social skills well through involvement in the morning and after-school clubs. The school council offers ideas to improve the playground and supports charities. It is currently discussing with pupils how to improve behaviour further. It is drawing up a set of clear expectations to help pupils have a very clear understanding of how to behave well.  As a result of clear initiatives introduced by the school to encourage pupils to attend regularly and on time, attendance has improved and is average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a very clear view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. With the governing body he has acted determinedly and decisively since the last inspection to tackle areas of weaker teaching and leadership. There are very clear and detailed plans for the school’s future development which are regularly monitored by school leaders, including the governing body. As a result, standards have risen.  The headteacher, the highly effective special needs coordinator and the acting deputy- headteacher work very well together. The headteacher allows them to introduce new approaches based on clear research and appropriate training, the impact of which is clearly checked. As a result, recent initiatives to improve the quality of the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics have ensured that pupils make good progress in all subjects.  All subject leaders regularly assess the quality of teaching and look at pupils’ work so that a

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The leadership and management are good

consistent approach to learning is evident across school. They offer clear advice about how to improve teaching, and teachers welcome and act upon this advice. While this has ensured that teaching across the school is typically good, some senior and subject leaders are new to their roles and are not fully confident or skilful in holding teachers to account for pupils’ progress in their areas of responsibility. Accordingly, pupils’ progress is good rather than outstanding.  Performance management is clearly focused on increasing the rates at which pupils make progress, improving the quality of teaching and raising standards. The headteacher has set demanding targets for teachers which have had an impact on all these areas. Teachers are very clear that they will only be rewarded when their pupils have done as well as, or better than, they should have done.  The curriculum is exciting and contributes well to pupils’ good spiritual, moral and social

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The leadership and management are good

awareness. It is particularly effective at developing pupils’ cultural awareness in relation to both local history and geography, and awareness of the wider world and other faiths and cultures. For example, pupils made aboriginal journey maps to show their own route to school.  The local authority works very effectively with the school. It has offered helpful advice on legal and personnel issues, as well as offering high-quality training for teachers. This advice has led to improvements in the quality of the teaching and leadership across the school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has an extremely clear view of the strengths of the school and has acted determinedly to tackle areas of weaker teaching and leadership. Governors have a clear understanding of school data and have ensured that the gap in achievement between pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium grant and other pupils in school is closing. They

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The leadership and management are good

skilfully manage the budget so that there have been clear improvements in the environment for outdoor learning and in resources to develop reading. The Chair of the Governing Body and the vice-chair are extremely well informed about the school. They offer clear leadership so that all governors carry out their allotted roles highly effectively. They monitor the performance of all staff, for example by regularly visiting classrooms to assess the quality of teaching. They ensure that all staff have received appropriate training, for example to ensure that pupils are kept safe from harm through safeguarding systems which meet current guidelines. Arrangements to appoint a new deputy headteacher are robust. The governing body is determined to ensure that it makes an excellent appointment.

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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 122223 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 406081

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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 3–9 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 210 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Margaret Richards Headteacher Oliver Flitcroft Date of previous school inspection 22 June 2011 Telephone number 0191 237 1239 Fax number Not applicable Email address admin@seatondelaval.northumberland.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 .

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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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