South Street Community Primary School

South Street Community Primary School Cramer Street, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE8 4BB

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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.  In the Nursery and Reception classes, children’s confidence develops quickly because of outstanding care and encouragement from adults. This helps them to explore and find out things for themselves.  Pupils make good progress from the time they start school. An increasing number make outstanding progress, notably in mathematics in Year 6.  Learning moves at a good pace because pupils are highly motivated by interesting and challenging tasks that always bring them success. They delight in working hard and showing their teachers and friends what they can do.  Teaching assistants are very well trained. They work closely with teachers and give high quality, direct support which accelerates pupils’ progress.  Pupils’ behaviour is consistently good in lessons and it is sometimes outstanding. Out of class and in the playground pupils are well behaved and look after each other carefully.  Pastoral care is excellent; it creates a warm

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

family atmosphere where everyone looks after each other. Pupils feel safe and happy, and ‘at home’ in school. Older pupils are sure that everyone knows where to turn for help if they need it.  Leadership and governance are ambitious for the school to become outstanding. Together they have made good improvements to teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection. The headteacher’s determination to get the best for all pupils is clear in her high expectations of staff and in her support to help them continually improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough pupils reach the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2.  Teaching and pupils’ achievement are not yet outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 20 lessons or parts of lessons, two of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the Chair, and other members of the Governing Body, senior leaders, staff and pupils.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation, including that relating to the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures, information about pupils’ progress and attainment, and the school’s development plan.  Inspectors undertook an examination of pupils’ books in all phases of the school, and listened to pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 read.  Inspectors took account of 21 responses to the online questionnaire Parent View; they also took account of 24 questionnaires returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Moira Fitzpatrick, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jane Beckett Additional Inspector Karen Holmes Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is high. The pupil premium provides additional funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is high.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The vast majority of pupils are from White British heritage, and an average proportion speaks English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching so that an increasing proportion of pupils’ achievement is outstanding.  Raise standards and accelerate progress in reading, writing and mathematics so that a higher proportion of pupils reach the expected level for their age at the end of Year 2 by:  providing children in the Nursery and Reception classes with more frequent opportunities to learn and develop a secure knowledge of number and shape in all areas of their learning  accelerating the progress of the lowest attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics so that more of them reach the expected standard for their age by the end of Year 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Nursery with skills that are well below those expected for their age, especially in language and communication. They settle quickly and soon gain the confidence to learn through well planned routines. Children make good progress to the end of Reception, yet despite this, fewer than average reach the expected level of development expected by the start of Year 1.  Children in Nursery and Reception classes are not always given the opportunity to learn and develop a secure knowledge of number and shape in all areas of their learning.  Pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress during Year 1 and 2 in their reading, writing and mathematics. Because of low starting points when they join Year 1, there is a large proportion of pupils who do not reach the expected level for their age by the end of Year 2.  By the end of Year 6, pupils reach the national average in English and mathematics. This

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The achievement of pupils is good

represents good achievement for all pupils regardless of their starting points.  Pupils develop good reading skills as they move through the school and read regularly for information and pleasure. The development of reading skills is well planned and pitched at the right level for individual needs.  The most able pupils are well challenged, and especially so in Years 2 and 6, because teachers are very ambitious for them to reach their full potential. By the end of Year 6, they exceed the level expect for their age, especially in mathematics.  Pupils who have special educational needs or speak English as an additional language receive high quality support from well-trained teaching assistants. By Year 6 these pupils exceed the levels of their peers in national tests and their progress is significantly above what is usually seen. The school promotes equality of opportunity extremely well.  Pupil premium funds are well used to ensure that pupils who are eligible for free school meals

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The achievement of pupils is good

achieve at least as well as other pupils. Inspection evidence and published data show that there is no gap between the performance of these pupils and other groups. These pupils usually achieve higher standards than their peers.  Older pupils are rightly proud of their sporting achievements and the high standards they reach in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good and there is an increasing proportion that is outstanding. Senior leaders have provided very good support for teachers to improve their skills and are constantly creating opportunities for colleagues to share good practice.  Good quality checks on learning are a feature of all lessons. For example, a group of Year 5 pupils were able to improve their writing of instructions because their work was constantly assessed as the lesson progressed. They were then offered just the right level of support to accelerate their understanding so they all achieved their targets.  Children in Nursery and Reception classes find a wealth of interesting and exciting things to explore, because staff understand how they learn best. Whether outdoors on an egg hunt or investigating where woodlice live, or indoors examining snails in the snail house, children are absorbed in looking, finding out for themselves and turning to adults for explanations of ‘what’

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The quality of teaching is good

and ‘how’. This way of working provides excellent, much needed opportunities for children to develop their thinking, speaking and listening skills. Time flies because they are so engrossed in their learning about the natural world.  Pupils’ learning benefits much from the high expectations of concentration and effort. Year 6 worked at a blistering pace when solving problems connected with time, prompted by probing questions. Their work was designed to give pupils maximum opportunity to think for themselves and work out their own lines of enquiry. This resulted in pupils making some unexpected connections between patterns of numbers, connecting time and space and the shape of the earth. Their learning and progress were outstanding.  The teaching of letters and sounds is very well planned. Pupils in Year 2 learned at an excellent rate because each group worked at just the right level for their understanding. Clear

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The quality of teaching is good

explanations by adults showed pupils how to make the sounds then use them to read and write new words. This careful building of knowledge and skills ensured that every pupil, regardless of their starting point, made rapid progress and improved their ability to write independently.  Marking and feedback are of consistently good quality. In all classes, pupils are given time to make corrections and improve their work which is helping to accelerate their progress. Even children in the Reception class understand that ‘green’ and ‘orange’ show what is good and what could be better. The systems are so well embedded that one child in Reception went on to mark her own work with coloured pens after she had finished her ‘Dragon Story’!

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are well behaved and self-disciplined in and out of classrooms. Their caring and considerate behaviour in lessons ensures they give good support to each other and create a positive atmosphere where everyone enjoys their learning.  Pupils’ good and sometimes excellent attitudes to learning make an important contribution to their good progress. Pupils follow class routines promptly, so that time is used well for learning. Occasionally, there is some loss of concentration when explanations are not clear or pupils become bored with listening. Nevertheless, pupils take great pride in pleasing their teachers and are delighted when their hard work is rewarded with house points.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Excellent pastoral care from all staff is based on a genuine concern for pupils’ emotional and physical well-being. They are well

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

informed about pupils’ circumstances and are alert to any changes in their behaviour which may signal a cause for concern, and they respond promptly.  Pupils are well taught to look after their own safety and well-being. Older pupils explain how they are taught about the dangers of the internet, and drugs and medicines that are harmful.  Pupils feel safe from bullying and unkind behaviour. They have been taught to know the difference between ‘squabbles’ and ‘football rows’ and regular unkind and hurtful behaviour. They have total trust in staff to sort out any such things, ‘really quickly, and they don’t happen again’.  Pupils whose circumstances might put them at risk of becoming vulnerable are extremely well supported by the excellent care provided by the school. Staff work hard to reduce and remove barriers to pupils’ well-being and achievement.  Parents are unanimous that their children are safe and happy in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s vision for everyone to be, ‘the very best they can be’, is fully supported by all staff and governors. Excellent teamwork, driven by the headteacher’s ambition for all to play a part in the school’s development is leading to rapid improvement. The quality of teaching, pupils’ progress and their achievement, have all improved well since the previous inspection.  Good systems are in place to track pupils’ learning and progress. Regular progress meetings spot pupils who need extra support to meet their targets. These systems ensure that equality is well promoted.  Senior and middle leaders are rigorous and accurate in their evaluations of the school’s work. They are able to pinpoint and plan actions which are continually improving pupils’ learning and achievement.  Staff performance is well managed; there are clear targets linked to the school’s priorities. Staff are well aware of their accountability for pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is well matched to pupils’ interests and motivates them to learn. Topics are planned well so that a number of subjects are integrated into what pupils learn, and so that they have good opportunities to practise their mathematics and writing skills.  The new primary sport funding is used well to involve all pupils, especially those who may be reluctant to take part in sport. Lunchtime and additional clubs are proving successful with identified pupils and others.  The local authority has provided good support for the school to improve quickly since the previous inspection.  The governance of the school:  Governors are well informed about the school’s work. They know about the quality of teaching and how this is improving. They understand how effectively additional pupil premium funding is being used to help these pupils achieve as well or better than others in the school through monitoring progress data and by direct observation in classes. They know how teacher targets

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The leadership and management are good

are linked to pupils’ progress and only reward those staff who fully meet their targets. Many governors are frequent visitors to the school to support in classes or with sport or dance, and are recognised for the work they do in extending the curriculum. Governors ensure that safeguarding arrangements meet requirements and that there are regular health and safety checks to ensure all are safe on site. Finances are well managed to provide effective interventions so that pupils achieve well.

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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 108326 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 430880

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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 299 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Wilkinson Headteacher Julie McGrow Date of previous school inspection 21 June 2012 Telephone number 0191 477 3993 Fax number 0191 477 3831 Email address southstreetcommunityprimaryschool@gateshead.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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