Hedworth Lane Primary School

Hedworth Lane Primary School Hedworth Lane, Boldon Colliery, Tyne and Wear, NE35 9JB

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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’ understanding of how to keep safe is outstanding. The school is rigorous in ensuring pupils know how to keep safe. Safety procedures are of a high standard.  The school ensures that children get a good start as they enter school. There is a strong focus on settling them down to work and they make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils continue to make good progress across Key Stages 1 and 2. After a dip in 2012, standards in English and mathematics have risen again and are broadly average at the end of Year 6.  Teaching is good. Some is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations and plan lessons that inspire pupils to learn and enable them to make at least good progress.  Pupils behave well both in and out of lessons. They have good attitudes to learning and work and play together harmoniously. They make a strong contribution to the work of the school

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

as ‘buddies’, ‘playground leaders’ and prefects.  The headteacher provides strong and purposeful leadership and is passionate about ensuring pupils achieve well in all aspects of their education. He is very well supported by a skilful deputy headteacher and staff who are also keen for pupils to achieve well. Consequently, standards are rising.  The governors are very supportive of the school. They have a wide range of skills and have a good understanding of the work of the school. They effectively challenge leaders to do even better and, as a result, the school continues to improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not outstanding. Marking does not lead pupils to make faster progress. Pupils do not always know how to be successful in their work so they can check it and then improve their own learning and progress.  The school does not make enough use of its best practice to improve teaching.  Standards in mathematics are not high enough. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their calculation skills or investigate and solve problems. Curriculum planning does not always enable pupils to reach a high enough standard in their mathematics work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors watched 30 lessons or parts of lessons, of which two were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors observed groups of pupils, as well as individual pupils, working with teaching assistants. They listened to Year 2 pupils read, and heard pupils in other year groups read in lessons.  Inspectors talked to a range of pupils about their work and play in school, including the school council. They also studied a range of pupils’ work across the school.  Meetings were held with eight governors as well as teaching staff, including middle leaders and the headteacher.  Inspectors observed the overall work of the school and studied a number of documents including the school’s data about pupils’ current progress. They also examined documents relating to safeguarding, governance, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors took account of 48 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also

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Information about this inspection

considered the school’s pupil, parent and staff questionnaires.  Inspectors looked at school displays, its website and a range of other evidence relating to the wider work of the school.

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Inspection team

David Shearsmith, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Patrick Hargreaves Additional Inspector Karen Holmes Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  An average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding for those pupils eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority and children of service families.  An above average proportion of pupils is supported at school action. An average proportion of pupils is supported at school action plus or has a statement of special educational needs.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The school has achieved the Arts Mark Silver, Sports Active Mark and Eco School awards.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is taught in two Reception classes.  The school has a breakfast club managed by the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so more is outstanding in order to raise achievement even higher, by:  making better use of existing outstanding practice in teaching, especially to improve the level of challenge provided to some pupils, especially in mathematics  improving the marking of pupils’ work by setting out clear points for improvement and providing sufficient opportunity for pupils to respond to teachers’ comments  ensuring that pupils always know how to be successful in their work in lessons so they can check it and improve their own learning and progress.  Raise standards in mathematics, by:  giving pupils more opportunities to investigate and solve mathematical problems  ensuring pupils have good calculation skills and can apply them to problems successfully  making certain the school utilises the new mathematics curriculum to ensure pupils reach higher standards in their work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress across Key Stage 1 due to consistently good teaching. They reach standards that are broadly average but improving strongly, particularly in reading and writing, although mathematics is relatively weaker. They continue to make good progress across Key Stage 2 and, after a dip in 2012, standards are rising again, particularly in Years 5 and 6, as pupils are making accelerated progress. Again, standards in mathematics are not as high as those seen in English.  The school rigorously tracks pupils’ progress across the school. In Years 5 and 6, teachers track pupils’ progress every half term; this has a very positive impact and is accelerating pupils’ progress. Good systems for checking on progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and across Key Stage 1 have ensured that, over time, standards have risen. The school reacts quickly to any pupils that fall behind. Consequently, all pupils get an equal opportunity to achieve as well

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The achievement of pupils is good

as they can.  Children enter the school from a range of different settings with skills that are below what is typical for their age. They often have weaknesses in their literacy skills and in their ability to settle to work. They make good progress overall as the school has a strong focus on ensuring they have an appropriate balance between more formal work and play. They also develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills well.  The school has had a strong focus more recently on improving the teaching of mathematics and pupils’ progress has improved, particularly in Years 5 and 6. Standards in mathematics are not as high as they could be as pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise their calculation skills. There are also too few occasions across the school where pupils can investigate and solve mathematical problems. The mathematics curriculum does not always challenge pupils

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The achievement of pupils is good

to reach high enough standards in their work.  Pupils read well as the school has good systems in place to support the teaching of reading. Where parents do not support pupils’ reading at home less progress is made. The school has a systematic approach to teaching phonics (sounds that letters make). This has had a positive impact on raising and sustaining standards in reading, with results in the 2013 Year 1 reading check being above the national figures.  Pupils make good and sometimes better progress in their literacy skills across the school. Speaking and listening skills are taught well. Pupils are articulate and confident when answering questions. Their writing skills are well-developed across the school. As a result, they reach standards that are above average by the time they leave in Year 6.  The funding to support those entitled to the pupil premium, including pupils known to be eligible

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The achievement of pupils is good

for free school meals, is used well. They typically make good progress. As a result, they reach standards that are often close to their peers in English and mathematics and overall were ahead of them by one term by the end of Year 6 last year. The school ensures they make the same level of progress as other pupils.  The most able make good progress in their work. By the time these pupils leave the school in Year 6 they have achieved standards that are often above what is typical for their age.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs generally make good progress across the school. The school uses its teaching assistants well to ensure the good progress of these pupils. Those who have more complex needs do not perform as well as similar pupils nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good and sometimes it is outstanding. Pupils’ good progress reflects the high expectations of their teachers. Most pupils take pride in their work and its presentation and engage well in learning. They respond well to questions that probe their knowledge and deepen their understanding. This helps them to make good progress.  Work and activities are carefully planned to ensure that pupils are helped to make at least good progress. In the Reception classes children make good progress as the activities designed for them, for example in small groups, capture their interest. Children enjoy sounding out their words accurately and in a systematic way and are given opportunities to practise their skills effectively. Writing activities are similarly well-planned and children achieve well. Children are also given opportunities to secure their literacy skills through play.  Pupils are often keen to learn and respond well to the activities provided for them. In a writing

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The quality of teaching is good

lesson in a Years 1 and 2 class, pupils were very keen to learn and quickly wrote their postcard. The teacher had provided them with a check-list of key features of this type of writing and they had a very clear idea what to include in their writing. Consequently, they made good, and some made outstanding, progress as they were able to check for themselves how well they were doing and knew how to be successful in their own learning and to make good progress  In a Year 5 mathematics lesson, pupils were challenged to find which box of treasure was the most valuable. By finding the fraction of money each chest held pupils were able to solve the problem. Pupils were highly engaged in the task and made outstanding progress in their learning because the activity deepened their understanding. However, some planned work in mathematics is not always sufficiently demanding and pupils are unable to achieve as well as

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The quality of teaching is good

they could.  The marking of pupils’ work is often thorough and, in some cases, provides guidance for pupils on how to improve their work and extend their learning. Pupils who have the opportunity to respond to teachers' comments often make the best progress. This is particularly the case in Years 5 and 6. Those pupils who are not given precise enough advice on how to improve their work, or when there is little opportunity for them to do so, do not achieve the same standard in their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school as they are provided with a rich and varied curriculum that inspires them to learn. They work well together in lessons and support each other in their learning. Pupils generally have good attitudes to learning and enjoy working with partners. They benefit from sharing their thoughts about their learning, which in turn promotes their good progress.  The school has rigorous systems in place to support pupils’ attendance and punctuality. This, coupled with pupils’ love of coming to school to learn and play, has resulted in attendance being well above average.  The school has a very well-attended breakfast club which contributes to pupils’ personal development and their health and well-being. The club provides rich and varied activities, including extra opportunities for pupils to develop their mathematical and literacy skills, and gives them a good start to their school day.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in and around the school. ‘Buddies’ and ‘play leaders’ support pupils during playtimes and lunchtimes. Behaviour in the dining-hall is good with pupils enjoying a healthy meal. Prefects, who enjoy taking responsibility for jobs around the school, support the smooth running of the school.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to keep safe in many different situations as the school provides a range of opportunities to develop their understanding. During the inspection Year 4 pupils took part in training that gave them skills to cross the road safely.  Pupils also had an excellent knowledge of how to stay safe on the internet. The school had provided a dedicated time for pupils to develop their understanding through its curriculum. This resulted in pupils knowing about bullying on the internet as well as the safe use of a range of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

information and communication technology.  Pupils have a real understanding of what constitutes bullying and how to deal with it. Pupils were very clear that the school had zero tolerance of bullying and, that if it did happen, it would be immediately sorted out by adults in the school.  Pupils were clear that they felt very safe in the school. This was reiterated by parents and staff. The headteacher and governors have excellent systems in place to ensure that pupils are safe. This was very evident during the inspection with procedures and practices underpinning the school’s work.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong, skilful leadership. He is well supported by an effective deputy headteacher and a staff who are equally dedicated to ensuring all pupils achieve as well as they can. Working together closely as a team, they have improved the progress of pupils and the quality of teaching following a dip in results in 2012. The school has used the existing expertise of some teachers to improve others and is aware it needs to extend this practice further in order to further improve teaching.  Middle leaders carry out their roles and responsibilities well and assist the drive to improve. They have a good understanding of the school’s data. Meetings to check on pupils’ progress are held regularly. These have helped to ensure that any pupils who are falling behind are supported to catch up.  The school’s check on how well it is doing is very accurate. It has already identified that mathematics is an area for further improvement. Consequently, the school has good plans in

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The leadership and management are good

place to further improve the school.  Performance management is used well at all levels to improve the school’s performance. Everyone has clear targets linked to pupils’ performance and to any leadership responsibility they hold. Teachers get good quality support to enable them to improve. This has contributed to improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.  The school’s curriculum provides a myriad of activities, both in and out of school, which promotes pupils’ learning. The school offers a wide variety of sporting activities by expanding its provision to include cycling, using the new primary school sport funding. The curriculum links subjects together and learning is more meaningful for pupils and enhances their progress.  Work to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development makes a vital contribution to pupils’ personal growth. They have access to a range of cultural experiences, as

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The leadership and management are good

well as specific teaching sessions that discuss moral and social issues. Pupils also have rich musical experiences. Everyone has the opportunity to sing in the choir and the school’s promotion of art encourages pupils to produce work of a high standard.  Parents are very positive about the school. The school encourages strong links with parents who are appreciative of the work the school does and communication with parents is very good.  The local authority gives good support to the school. It has provided school reviews and training and helped the school improve. The school works with a wide range of other partners. This includes strong links with Boldon secondary school, to support pupils prior to and when they change school. It also has strong links with local services that help to meet the varying needs of pupils.  Safeguarding is taken very seriously by the school. It has rigorous systems in place to ensure

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The leadership and management are good

pupils are safe, consequently safeguarding meets requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a wide range of skills and support the school well. The headteacher provides good quality information to governors, including data. As a result, they have a good understanding about the school’s performance and the quality of teaching. Governors visit the school regularly and look at teaching and how pupils are learning. Governors know about the quality of teaching and use performance management to reward teachers appropriately for their endeavours. Evidence from governors’ meetings show that they challenge the school to improve its performance. The school uses its finances well and governors recognise how well pupil premium pupils are doing. They also know about the primary school sport funding and how it is being used. They appreciate it is having a very positive impact on pupils’ participation

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The leadership and management are good

and that it also provides pupils with opportunities to take part in a variety of sporting activities. Governors take the safeguarding of pupils very seriously. They have excellent procedures in place and are well-trained in this area.

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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 108686 Local authority South Tyneside Inspection number 440797

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 307 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Keith Bell Headteacher Tony Gill Date of previous school inspection 23 November 2010 Telephone number 0191 5367262 Fax number 0191 5368179 Email address agill@hedworthlane.s-tyneside.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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