Whitley Chapel Church of England First School

Whitley Chapel Church of England First School Leazes Lane, Steel, Hexham, NE47 0HB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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. They make excellent progress in reading and writing and good progress in mathematics.  Teaching is good overall and occasionally outstanding, especially in writing in the class for pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4.  The teaching offers pupils many stimulating opportunities to see the links between subjects and to develop their skills in reading and writing.  Teachers use questions well and check pupils’ understanding as lessons progress. Lessons have a brisk pace. Work is well-matched to the learning needs of different groups of pupils.  Teaching assistants are very skilled at teaching and supporting pupils’ learning.  The school offers excellent care and support and provides extremely well for pupils’ outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They care very well for one another and say they feel extremely safe. Attendance is above average.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher and the governing body have a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have improved teaching, pupils’ achievement and the leadership skills of all teachers.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are given too few chances to apply their skills in mathematics in problem-solving activities.  In some mathematics lessons, teachers do not move pupils on quickly enough when it is clear they already understand.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was conducted in one day by two inspectors.  During the inspection, the headteacher and governors were involved in procedures related to the appointment of a new teacher. In the afternoon, all pupils were off site for a swimming lesson. As a result it was not possible to see any teaching of mathematics in the class for pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Year 1.  Inspectors held meetings with staff, groups of pupils and the Chair of the Governing Body as well as five other governors.  They looked at a range of evidence including the school’s improvement plan; the school’s data relating to pupils’ progress; the work in pupils’ books and the school’s documentation relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors observed teaching and learning in five lessons taught by two teachers. They listened to groups of pupils in Years 1 and 2 read.  The lead inspector conducted one joint observation with the headteacher. The lead inspector

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Information about this inspection

also observed the headteacher reporting back to the teacher on her findings regarding the quality of teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement in the lesson.  Too few parents had responded to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) for their opinions to be published. However, inspectors spoke to parents and received one e-mail from parents.  Five staff completed questionnaires and the responses were analysed.

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Inspection team

Gordon Potter, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Peter Evea Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is very much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average, although this is varies between year groups. 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 who are known to be eligible for free school meals is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is above average.  The proportions of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are average.  There are morning, lunch-time and after-school clubs which are run by school staff, external coaches and volunteers.  The school does not use any alternative provision. There are two classes: one for pupils in Nursery, Reception and Year 1; the other for pupils in

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Information about this school

Years 2, 3 and 4. The teacher in the Early Years Unit is employed on a 0.5 basis, and the teacher in the Year 2,3 and 4 class on a 0.6 basis. The Headteacher teaches in both classes on a 0.7 basis overall. 

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is outstanding, to raise standards and rates of pupils’ progress further, especially in mathematics, by:  offering pupils more opportunities to apply their skills in problem-solving activities in mathematics  moving pupils’ learning on more quickly in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills that are above those typically expected for their age. Pupils make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage as a result of good teaching. 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 generally well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils currently in Year 2 are making outstanding progress in reading and writing.  Standards at the end of Year 4 are typically well-above national expectations for nine-year-olds in reading and writing and above national expectations in mathematics. Pupils make outstanding progress in reading and writing.  While progress in mathematics is good and ensures that pupils have attainment which is above age-related expectations, it is not outstanding. This is because in some lessons pupils are not

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The achievement of pupils is good

moved on quickly enough in their learning and are offered too few opportunities to practise their mathematical skills in real-life situations.  The most-able pupils in school have been clearly identified and work is targeted to help them attain standards which are above the expectations for their age in mathematics and well-above in English.  There are too few pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding to make meaningful comparisons about their attainment.  The school’s consistent focus on the learning needs of these pupils ensures that, in the main, they make the same good and outstanding progress as is made by pupils who are not eligible for this additional funding. The school has done this through clear tracking of their progress, successfully targeted support and good and outstanding teaching.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are helped to make the same good and

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The achievement of pupils is good

outstanding progress as that of their class mates. 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 for success and tackling discrimination.  Inspection evidence shows that progress in reading is outstanding. This is a result of a consistent focus on reading and the development of pupils’ knowledge of how letters are linked to sounds to help them to read words they are not used to. There is a highly effective focus in all classes on helping pupils to understand and enjoy books and read more often in school and at home. There is a clear emphasis on encouraging the most-able pupils to develop their thinking about how writers use description and characters to make their stories come alive.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good overall with some outstanding teaching of reading and writing in the class for pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4. Teachers plan interesting activities and question pupils well. They encourage pupils to talk through ideas, plan carefully and work creatively together. Teachers are very skilful at explaining what pupils are to learn and leading them through ways to do tasks, using examples from pupils’ work so pupils can think about what is effective in the work and what can be made better.  For example, the teacher in the class for pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 used pupils’ enthusiasm and enjoyment of the topic they are studying and the book they are reading as a stimulus for writing. She allowed pupils time to talk together and gather ideas for their writing; she used a pupil’s work as a stimulus for discussion and made it absolutely clear to pupils what skills they had to develop and how they would know they had been successful. She offered pupils sufficient

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The quality of teaching is good

time to concentrate on their writing and checked pupils’ progress as the lesson progressed.  Allied to regular opportunities to write at length, these approaches are helping all groups of pupils to make outstanding progress in their writing.  There is good teaching of mathematics. In a mathematics lesson for pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4, for example, the teacher used her good subject knowledge, focused questioning and clear explanations so that pupils understood different ways to do addition appropriate to their age and level.  However, progress is good in mathematics rather than outstanding because pupils are often allowed to do too many examples of work they can do correctly before they are offered more challenging questions. There are too few opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills in problem-solving activities, including examples that have more than one answer.  Pupils’ work is regularly marked, teachers make it clear to pupils how they can improve their

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The quality of teaching is good

work and give pupils time to act upon any advice that is given.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. There are clear rules and teachers consistently apply the school’s system of rewards and sanctions. Indeed, good behaviour was evident in lessons and in the playground and dinner hall during the inspection. In lessons where teaching was excellent and pupils were fully engaged in their work, their behaviour was outstanding.  While pupils say that there is very little disruption to their lessons, they also say that sometimes pupils interrupt and talk when they should be listening. This was evident during the inspection, when a few pupils found it difficult to listen to their teachers and teaching assistants.  However, when they are asked to concentrate on their work, their effort is excellent and they take great pride in doing their best. The presentation of their work and their handwriting are excellent.  Their conduct in school assemblies is also excellent because the headteacher engages their

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

attention and encourages them to think about people from different faiths and cultures and how they can help others. It is also excellent because they enjoy the opportunity to sing together, which they do outstandingly well.  The school’s records of behaviour show that behaviour has been good over the past three years, during which time no child has been excluded. The needs of a very small number of pupils who have significant behavioural problems are managed very effectively by the school.  Pupils develop social skills well through involvement in the morning, lunch-time and after-school clubs. They are extremely polite to adults, very keen to talk about their school, respect one another and work and play well together.  The elected school council is determined to make the school a better place. It has worked to improve the playground and offers ideas to raise funds for charities.  Attendance is above average. This is because pupils feel very safe and enjoy their lessons and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

because of the many exciting topics they study.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. All adults offer highly effective and sensitive care to pupils. As a result, pupils feel very safe. They are aware of different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying or racism. They say that there is no bullying, although friends occasionally fall out. Pupils know they can turn to adults for help and be certain that any concerns will be dealt with. They also say they are able to solve problems between themselves or by asking school ‘buddies’ to help them.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has high expectations and aspirations for her staff and pupils. As a result, there is a welcoming, calm, safe and purposeful environment in school which enables teachers and pupils to flourish and give of their best.  She has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and relative weaknesses. In this very small school, she has delegated responsibilities and staff willingly accept responsibility and accountability for areas of learning. She ensures that they have the training and support to develop their leadership skills. As a result, leadership across the school is good; there have been improvements in the Early Years Foundation Stage; standards are well-above average; and teaching is good and occasionally outstanding.  The headteacher regularly checks the quality of teaching; she clearly understands what constitutes good teaching and judges it accurately. She is clear in her feedback to teachers and

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The leadership and management are good

checks that points for improvement are followed up.  The headteacher and other teachers have clear expertise in using data to measure and evaluate pupils’ progress. The school improvement plan has appropriate areas for development and there are clear procedures to check its impact regularly and systematically. Although there is a clear focus on pupils’ attainment and progress, targets are sometimes not specific enough. As a result, while good teaching has helped pupils make good and occasionally outstanding progress, progress is not yet outstanding in all Key Stages and all subjects.  Teachers are very clear that they will be rewarded only when their pupils have done as well as, or better than, they should have done. Recent, more rigorous targets for teachers have not yet had time to ensure that pupils make outstanding, rather than good, progress.  Funding to support the learning of those pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil

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The leadership and management are good

premium has been used to develop their basic skills and to purchase appropriate resources and offer pupils cultural opportunities through visits and extra-curricular activities. As a result, they make the same good and outstanding progress as that of other pupils in the school.  The new primary school sport funding has been used effectively to develop competitive sports, to use coaches to develop teachers’ expertise in teaching football and gymnastics and to introduce new sports such as rugby.  While no physical education lessons were seen during the inspection, pupils say they enjoy their lessons and teachers welcome the development of their skills alongside the coaches. These are contributing well to pupils’ physical development and well-being.  While the school focuses on developing pupils’ basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics, it also provides many opportunities for pupils to see the links between subjects. It does not yet

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The leadership and management are good

offer sufficient opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills across different subjects. It builds on pupils’ enjoyment of history, art, music and science and contributes strongly to their excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.  While the school regrets the rapid changeover in local authority education development advisers, it does welcome the support and advice it receives from the individual advisers. They support the school and have been engaged in helping it to improve the teaching and to develop teachers’ leadership skills.  The governance of the school:  The governing body offers strong support and challenge to the school and governors are regularly involved in school activities. The governing body has improved its effectiveness through applying the professional skills of its governors to appropriate roles within school. This allows the governing body to have an extremely clear overview of pupils’ attainment and

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The leadership and management are good

progress. The budget is managed extremely well and best-value principles are applied. Governors ensure that the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities for safeguarding. Governors receive clear information about how the pupil premium funding and the new primary school sport funding are allocated and are knowledgeable about their impact. All staff have been vetted and are trained appropriately to keep pupils safe and free from harm. Governors have clear systems to check the achievement of pupils, the quality of teaching and the curriculum. They monitor arrangements to improve teachers’ performance, ensuring that teachers are rewarded for meeting targets for pupils’ progress successfully. As a result, teaching and achievement are good, and occasionally outstanding.

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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 122293 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 431361

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–9 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 33 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rev Andrew Patterson Headteacher Ms Jenny Morgan Date of previous school inspection 26 June 2009 Telephone number 01434 673294 Fax number Not applicable Email address admin@whitleyfirst.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

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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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