Newham Bridge Primary School

Newham Bridge Primary School Cayton Drive, Acklam, Middlesbrough, TS5 7NJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement.  Achievement requires improvement because too few pupils make good progress.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Some teachers do not expect enough of pupils. Work is not always well planned to meet the needs of all pupils, especially the most able.  There are too few opportunities for pupils to explore ideas in groups or independently. They are not always given sufficient time to complete tasks.  Pupils are given too few chances to write at length in English and other subjects or to apply their skills in mathematics.  Pupils are not always clear enough about the level of their work and what they need to do to take the next steps in their learning.  The teaching of how to link sounds and letters (phonics) is inconsistent across school so some weaker readers are having difficulty in catching up.  While the headteacher has identified areas for improvement, they are based on an over

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

optimistic view of the school’s effectiveness.  Senior leaders have been slow to complete the school improvement plan. As it stands, it lacks clear and rigorous success criteria to help leaders assess how effective it is.  New targets for teachers that require pupils to make good progress have not had time to have a positive impact.  The governing body does not offer sufficient challenge. Procedures to monitor the school’s performance are not rigorous enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 There is some good teaching across school, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where children make a good start to their learning.  In 2012, boys, pupils who were eligible for the pupil premium and those with special educational needs made excellent progress in Key Stage 2.  The school offers sensitive care and provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and they say they feel extremely safe. Pupils from diverse backgrounds care very well for one another.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors had meetings with staff, groups of pupils and the Chair and vice-chair of the governing body. The inspectors also met with a representative from the local authority.  They 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.  Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 18 lessons taught by 13 teachers and listened to groups of pupils in Years 1, 2 and 6 read. In addition, the inspectors made a number of short visits to lessons.  Inspectors conducted four joint observations of lessons with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. The inspectors also observed the leaders reporting back to teachers on their findings regarding the quality of teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement in lessons.  Inspectors took into account the 10 responses to the on-line 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.  Thirty three staff completed questionnaires and the responses were analysed.

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Inspection team

Gordon Potter, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lucie Stephenson Additional Inspector Sue Eland Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British. However, there is a significant proportion of pupils from a diverse range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, for most of whom English is not believed to be their first language.  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 who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well below average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also well-below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment.

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Information about this school

 There are a breakfast club and many lunch-time and after-school clubs which are managed by the governing body.  The headteacher has been in post since September 2012.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better, to further raise standards and rates of pupils’ progress, by:  raising the expectations of teachers about what pupils can achieve  increasing the pace and challenge in lessons so pupils have more opportunities to explore their own ideas independently or in groups and more time to complete tasks  using data about pupils’ attainment to plan work which is more closely matched to their individual skills and abilities, especially for the most able pupils  helping pupils to understand the level of their work at which they operating and what they need to do to take the next steps in their learning  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 imaginatively and at length in English and other subjects  developing a consistent, systematic approach to the teaching of how sounds and letters link

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the impact that leaders at all levels have on pupils’ attainment and progress, by:  ensuring that leaders and teachers are clear about what constitutes good progress and meet the demanding targets for improving the attainment and progress of pupils which have recently become part of their performance management targets  ensuring the school development plan has clearly specified success criteria related to pupils’ progress and attainment which help school leaders evaluate its effectiveness  developing the skills of the governing body in reviewing all aspects of the school, including the way that the pupil premium funding helps to raise the attainment of those pupils who are eligible to receive it, so that governors can offer more rigorous challenge to school leaders  undertaking an external review of governance in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most children start school with skills that are below those typically expected for their age. Children typically do well in the Early Years Foundation Stage, as a result of good teaching and a range of activities that engages children’s interests. As a result, when they enter Year 1 they are in line with expectations for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.  Standards at the end of Year 2 have declined in the past three years. Pupils have failed to make the expected progress in Years 1 and 2 and attainment is below average in reading, writing and mathematics. Too few pupils attain standards that are above those expected for their age.  Likewise, standards at the end of Year 6 have declined since 2011 and were average in 2012 and 2013. Nonetheless, in 2012 pupils made good progress in Key Stage 2. Indeed, boys, pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, pupils supported at school action plus and those with

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

a statement of special educational needs made excellent progress, particularly in mathematics.  However, in 2013, too few pupils attained age-related expectations in English and too few of the most able pupils attained the higher Levels 5 and 6 in English and mathematics. Pupils made only expected progress in Key Stage 2. Pupils currently in Years 3 to 6 are making only the progress expected of them because the quality of teaching is inconsistent and their work is not sufficiently challenging.  The gap between those pupils eligible for the pupil premium and other pupils in the school, which had closed in 2012, was wide in 2013. Pupils with special educational needs and those pupils for whom English is not their first language have also seen their attainment and rates of progress decline.  While the school is committed to the well-being of all groups of pupils and has a clear desire to promote equality of opportunity and tackle discrimination, it is currently not sufficiently focused

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

on ensuring pupils make rapid and sustained progress and attain the highest standards.  Inspection evidence shows that pupils typically make the progress expected of them in reading. However, a few pupils are being left behind. This is a result of the lack of a consistent and systematic approach to the teaching of how to link sounds and letters to help pupils read words they are not used to. A drive to help pupils enjoy books and read more in school and at home has not yet had a full impact on increasing pupils’ progress in reading.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Much is good, especially in the Early Years Foundation Stage, but elsewhere the pace of learning is often too slow and work not well-matched to the learning needs of individual pupils. It is often too hard for some and too easy for others.  In one mathematics lessons in Key Stage 1, for example, pupils had to order numbers. Many pupils found the work difficult. The teacher did not explain clearly enough or change the work as the lesson went on. In a different Key Stage 1 mathematics lesson, the work of counting coins in tens was too easy for some.  Pupils’ work is regularly marked but the way teachers give advice about how to improve their work is inconsistent. Pupils are unclear about the level of their work and what they need to do to reach the next level.  The curriculum offers too few opportunities for pupils to practise their mathematics skills in real-

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

life problem-solving activities. Books which contain pupils’ written work show that pupils make expected progress in writing. Some pupils have excellent writing skills but all pupils do not write at length often enough to make consistently good progress.  Where teaching is good, teachers make lessons interesting. They use exciting topics, allow pupils the chance to investigate together and give them the time to concentrate on solving problems. In a Year 5 mathematics lesson, for example, the teacher allowed pupils time to tackle a difficult problem regarding nets of three-dimensional shapes. Pupils rose to the challenge and made good progress in their learning.  In Year 6, the teacher built on pupils’ enthusiasm for Macbeth. She allowed pupils the opportunity to discuss the traits of different characters and pupils showed a mature understanding. She showed pupils a clear example of what they were to write, ensured they

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

understood the characteristics of diary writing and gave pupils time to concentrate on their writing.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that behaviour is good in their lessons and around the school. Any minor misbehaviour, such as some chatting in lessons is quickly dealt with by their teachers. Indeed, much good and excellent behaviour was evident in lessons during the inspection. Pupils are very keen to do their best in their work, although they are not always given the opportunity to develop independence and self-reliance in their learning.  The needs of a very small number of pupils who have significant behavioural difficulties are very well managed by the school. There are clear expectations and a consistent system of rules and rewards which help pupils have a very clear understanding of how to behave well.  Pupils feel very safe and are aware of different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying or racism. The school’s ‘Bridgebook’ internet communication system helps pupils interact safely on- line and pupils from a range of cultural backgrounds play and learn together harmoniously. As a

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

result, pupils say that there is very little bullying and any incidents are quickly dealt with by playground friends and adults.  Older pupils look after younger children and help pupils play safely and enjoyably together. They develop social skills well through involvement in the breakfast, sports and after-school clubs. The school council has offered ideas and raised funds to buy the trim trail and climbing equipment for the playground and lighting for the drama area.  Despite clear initiatives introduced by the school to encourage pupils to attend regularly and on time, attendance is particularly badly affected by pupils taking extended holidays and is slightly below average.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher has been slow to recognise the areas where the school needs to improve and is over optimistic about its strengths. The current school improvement plan is incomplete and does not focus sufficiently on the key areas of raising attainment and improving teaching. Criteria by which leaders can know how successful they have been are not sharp enough and not easily measurable.  While the school has a lot of information about pupils’ attainment and progress, the school’s analysis focuses on how many pupils have made expected progress, rather than on ensuring that pupils make more than expected progress.  Likewise, targets set for teachers as part of their performance management have not been rigorous enough. While staff are now clear that they will only be rewarded by moving up the pay scale when their pupils have done as well as they should have done, this has not always been the case. More rigorous targets have not been in place long enough to ensure pupils make good

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The leadership and management requires improvement

progress. As a result, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do have not been high enough.  The headteacher and the deputy headteacher have a clear view of what constitutes good teaching and offer clear feedback to staff about the strengths and weaknesses of their teaching. This understanding has not yet been strongly enough applied so that teaching is consistently good or better across school. Training for teachers has not been strongly enough focused, for example on giving teachers a clear understanding of how to teach pupils how to link sounds and letters.  Funding to support the learning of those pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium has been used to offer greater support to develop their basic skills. While such pupils have achieved well in previous years, their achievement is lower than other pupils in the school. This is part of the school’s focus on expected progress so that those pupils who have fallen

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The leadership and management requires improvement

behind are not helped effectively to catch up.  The Primary School Sports Premium funding has been used effectively to develop competitive sports as well as encouraging physical activity in lunch-time and after-school activities. These are contributing well to pupils’ physical development.  The curriculum includes many enrichment activities which pupils enjoy. It offers pupils the opportunity to develop their fitness and sporting skills and helps support their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It fosters an enjoyment of art and music.  However, the curriculum lacks opportunities for pupils to see how subjects link together. Topic work is not demanding enough so skills in history and geography, for example, are under- developed.  The local authority supports the school and has been involved in helping the school to review its teaching and achievement. Linked to the school’s own evaluation, it has been over optimistic

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The leadership and management requires improvement

about the school’s effectiveness.  The governance of the school:  The governing body offers strong support to the school and governors are regularly involved in school activities, and ensures that the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities for safeguarding. All staff have been vetted and are trained appropriately to keep pupils safe and free from harm. The budget is well managed and has been successfully used to improve the school's environment and to develop information and communication technology provision. However, while governors carry out routine assessments of the overall provision, they remain over reliant on the headteacher’s view of the school’s effectiveness, including pupils’ achievement, the quality of teaching and the impact of performance management. As a result, teaching and achievement require improvement. While the governing body knows how the pupil premium funding is allocated, it is less successful in monitoring its impact. Governors are

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The leadership and management requires improvement

unclear about the allocation of the Primary School Sports premium funding or its impact.

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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 111585 Local authority Middlesbrough Inspection number 425935

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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 317 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ron Lowes Headteacher Beverley Hewitt-Best Date of previous school inspection 16 October 2008 Telephone number 01642 816884 Fax number 01642 816889 Email address newhambridge@middlesbrough.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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