Welbeck Academy

Welbeck Academy Flodden Street, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE6 2QL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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.  Children have a good start to their school life because the Early Years Foundation Stage provision is of high quality. The majority of children make rapid progress in their learning and in their personal and social development.  Achievement across the school is improving rapidly. Pupils make good, and sometimes outstanding, progress because they are taught well and given effective support to catch up if they fall behind.  Pupils, who are eligible for support through the pupil premium, make good progress in English and mathematics. Their achievement is better than their peers in writing and mathematics. Pupils in the Additional Resource Centre (ARC) make good and sometimes outstanding progress in their speech, language and communication skills.  Teaching is good and improving. Teachers have high expectations and are skilful in developing pupils’ thinking and communication skills. Teaching assistants contribute well to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They say they feel safe in school and show positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are polite and courteous and caring towards each other and adults.  The school is well supported by parents, who recognise the positive impact it has on their children’s learning and well-being.  Leadership and management are good. School leaders, including governors, are driven by their ambition for continued improvement. As a result, pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching have improved rapidly.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In some lessons, work is not set at the right level. As a result, some pupils are unsure about how to start tasks or know what needs to be done to be successful.  Pupils are not always given sufficient opportunities to act upon advice given in teachers’ marking.  Standards of pupils’ handwriting and presentation are not always good.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 24 lessons including two observed jointly with the executive headteacher.  Inspectors made short visits to other classes, looked at work on display and listened to pupils read.  Inspectors undertook a detailed analysis of pupils’ work. Part of this work was completed with subject leaders for English and mathematics.  Discussions were held with members of staff, pupils from both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, representatives of the governing body and with a representative from the WISE Academy Trust.  Inspectors considered the response from the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). A total of 24 responses were considered.  Inspectors considered the 21 responses from the staff questionnaire.  A number of documents were examined including: the school’s own information on pupils’ progress; planning and monitoring documents; the school’s view of its own performance; records of how funding is used, especially how the pupil premium is allocated; records relating

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Information about this inspection

to behaviour and attendance and records relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

David Wilson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Derek Sleightholme Additional Inspector Graeme Clarke Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-size primary school.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (the extra government funding for pupils looked after by the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is more than three times the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is almost twice the national average.  Pupils are taught in 14 classes, each having single year groups.  The school has an Additional Resource Centre (ARC) which caters for the needs of pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties. The ARC is used by pupils from schools across the local authority.  A pre-school Playgroup, run by the Academy, operates from the school site and is inspected

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Information about this school

separately.  The school is an Academy sponsored by the WISE Academies Trust. It became an academy in September 2012.  The academy did not meet the government’s current floor standards in 2013. These are the minimum expectations for pupils’ achievement and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ attainment and further accelerate their progress in English and mathematics by:  making sure work is pitched at the right level for all pupils so that their progress is as good as it can be  ensuring that all pupils are clear about their learning and know when they have been successful  making better use of marking and feedback by allowing time for pupils to act upon advice given  ensuring pupils’ handwriting and presentation are consistently good or better across all year groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There have been significant changes to the leadership team, teaching staff and governing body since the school became an academy in 2012. Following the low performance in the 2013 national tests, the executive headteacher with the support of the Trust Board took swift and decisive action to address pupils’ achievement and to improve the quality of teaching. Inspection evidence confirms the vast majority of pupils are now making rapid progress in English and mathematics.  The vast majority of children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with development well below that typical for their age, especially in their personal and social skills, communication, and those related to language and literacy and mathematical understanding. Through the Early Years Foundation Stage, all groups of children, including those with special educational needs and the most able, make good progress and some make outstanding progress from their very low

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The achievement of pupils is good

starting points. Despite this, children generally enter Key Stage 1 with development below that typical for their age.  Pupils in Key Stage 1 are currently making rapid progress in their reading, writing and mathematics. Evidence from pupils’ workbooks indicates that almost all pupils make expected progress and the vast majority are making more than expected progress, especially in writing and mathematics. As a result, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1 is broadly in line with that seen nationally for all groups of pupils.  The proportion of pupils meeting the expected level for the Year 1 phonics (letters and sounds) screening check is slightly below the national average. This reflects their very low starting points. Fewer boys than girls achieve the standard expected. However, as a result of good teaching and targeted support, standards are improving strongly, particularly for those pupils who did not

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The achievement of pupils is good

reach the expected level in Year 1.  The 2013 Key Stage 2 national test results indicated that pupils attained below the national average in writing and well below average in reading, English grammar, punctuation and spelling and in mathematics. Current evidence confirms almost all groups of pupils are now making rapid progress in their reading, writing and mathematics skills, with the majority making more than expected progress in each area. Clear and convincing evidence exists that pupils’ attainment has risen significantly this year and is now in line with what is expected for this age with an increasing number reaching above this level.  While pupils are making good overall progress in reading, writing and mathematics, evidence in pupils’ books shows the quality of handwriting and of presentation is not consistently good across the school.  Pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium, including those known to be

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The achievement of pupils is good

eligible for free school meals, do as well as other pupils because they make good progress from their starting points. Current trends show an increasing proportion of pupils are making more than expected progress across Key Stage 1 and 2. Their attainment is in line with other pupils in the school.  The most able pupils make good progress because tasks set are closer to their needs. This year leaders have identified several pupils on track to reach the high Level 6, especially in mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to that of their peers. Effective and timely support has resulted in these pupils making accelerated rates of progress.  Pupils in the Additional Resource Centre (ARC) make good and often excellent progress in their development of speech, language and communication. Highly effective teaching and high-quality care, support and guidance have resulted in pupils making rapid progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire felt that their children’s progress was good. The inspection team agreed that this is currently the case.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ progress is improving rapidly because of the overall good quality teaching. Evidence from the inspection and the school’s own records show that good teaching is currently enabling pupils to make good progress, with much improved attainment.  The teaching of reading across the school is good and improving strongly. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and early Key Stage 1 are making rapid progress in their use of phonics (letters and sounds) to support early reading. Year 1 pupils recall events from a story and talk about how characters might be feeling. For example, how the Rainbow Fish might feel when no one wanted to talk to him because he would not share his shiny scales. Across the school, pupils have a keen interest in reading. Older Year 6 pupils talk confidently about their favourite authors and their particular style of writing.  A key strength in teaching is in the involvement of teaching assistants in planning. Teaching

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The quality of teaching is good

assistants are well prepared and make a good contribution to pupils’ learning, especially for those with disabilities and special educational needs. In Key Stage 2, very successful support for reading enabled such pupils to make excellent progress in their reading fluency, expression and accuracy as a result of the enthusiasm and targeted support provided.  Most tasks are planned carefully to meet the different abilities of pupils. As a result, most pupils make good progress towards individual targets. However, this good practice is not evident in all classes. Occasionally work is not set at the right level. When this occurs, some pupils find it difficult to start their work and are not always sure what they need to do to be successful.  The school provides good support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Pupils receive high-quality support from teachers and teaching assistants, at the right level for

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The quality of teaching is good

them. Teaching in the Additional Resource Centre (ARC) makes excellent use of flexible group work. For example, pupils made excellent progress in their ability to explain the cause and effects of a volcanic eruption, as a result of focused teaching and opportunities to express their thinking.  Teachers work well together and make good use of individual strengths and expertise. This is making a positive contribution to raising standards and accelerating pupils’ progress across all groups of pupils. Marking and feedback is generally accurate and provides pupils with advice on how to improve their work further. However, not all pupils have sufficient opportunities to respond to teachers’ comments and improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ behaviour in and around school is good and sometimes excellent. They are polite and show consideration and respect for each other and adults. The majority of pupils willingly take responsibility for their own learning and their behaviour. Many pupils stated how much they enjoyed coming to school. A typical response from one pupil stated they ‘loved coming to school because everyone looks after one another.’  The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons as a result of the high expectations placed upon them by teachers and support staff. No examples of poor behaviour causing disruption to learning were observed during the inspection. However, in a few instances, learning was not always matched closely enough to pupils’ needs and this resulted in some pupils losing interest.  Pupils have an excellent knowledge and understanding of the school’s Merit Scheme that

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

rewards positive attitudes, achievement, behaviour, attendance and punctuality. All pupils have a determination to maintain and increase their collection of merit awards. Parents are extremely supportive of the school’s policy and actively support and encourage their children to achieve well.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Policies to support pupils’ behaviour, safety and well-being are clear and well embedded across the school. Staff are well trained in child protection and are very clear about the school’s agreed procedures to ensure pupils’ safety, health and well-being As a result, pupils say they feel safe and trust teachers and other school staff to help them if they have a problem. One pupil stated, ‘all the grown people and the security cameras keep us safe.’  Pupils are aware of the different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying. They stated such incidents are rare and would be dealt with quickly if they did occur. The vast majority of parents

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

support this view.  The school has been active in improving attendance. The appointment of family support workers has significantly improved the attendance of some pupils and positively reduced the proportion of pupils with a record of persistent absence. Attendance is now broadly average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership and management of the school are good. The executive headteacher has demonstrated an uncompromising drive and passion for continuous improvement. Her purposeful and impressive leadership has driven considerable improvement, with pupils now attaining much higher standards and making rapid progress from their individual starting points. The headteacher is supported by an effective senior leadership team. School improvement is supported by relevant school development plans and rigorous self-evaluation.  The use of information about pupils’ progress is used well. Senior leaders and those with leadership roles across the school work closely with class teachers to check on pupils’ progress to find out how well pupils are achieving. They regularly review the support that each pupil requires to meet their needs. One teacher stated, ‘the leadership team works hard to support staff and ensure every child achieves their potential.’

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The leadership and management are good

 Middle leaders have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and are held to account by senior leaders and governors. Through the checks on the quality of teaching, completing scrutiny of pupils’ work and evaluating the impact of actions taken aimed at improving the achievement of the most able pupils, the school has a good overall view of its effectiveness and impact on pupils’ progress.  The school’s system for performance management is robust and is effective in holding all teachers to account for the achievement of pupils. Targets are clearly stated and in line with Teachers’ National Standards. Targets are regularly reviewed and outcomes are used to inform the academy pay awards and professional development. As a consequence, teaching is good and improving quickly.  The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced and is carefully planned to meet the needs and interests of pupils. Excellent use is made of the local environment and its rich cultural history to

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The leadership and management are good

excite and enthuse pupils in their learning. Links with local businesses, including the Nissan car plant and shipbuilders on the River Tyne, introduce pupils to the world of work and manufacture. The curriculum is also enriched by many opportunities to work with musicians, artists and visiting drama groups.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Relationships in the school are built upon rights and respect. Pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong and the importance of care for others. This is evident in and around school and in whole-school gatherings, such as assemblies.  The primary school sport funding has been used effectively to promote greater participation in a wide range of sports, including football, rugby, basketball and shadow boxing. Qualified coaches teach sessions in the school, as well as offering additional after-school activities. They also

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The leadership and management are good

provide training for staff to increase their level of skill in teaching physical activity and sport.  Arrangements for safeguarding and procedures for child protection, site security, staff recruitment and risk assessment fully meet requirements. Those with responsibilities in these areas attend regular training and ensure all staff are kept informed of current practice.  The school promotes equal opportunities successfully. It is highly inclusive, and successful with pupils who have additional or special educational needs.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. It maintains a relentless focus on improving pupils’ achievement and progress and is committed to improving the life chances of all pupils in its care. As a result of regular visits, learning walks around the school and analysing data on pupils’ achievement and

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The leadership and management are good

progress, including the impact of support, governors are well informed and hold leaders to account confidently.  Governors make sure that statutory responsibilities, including those for safeguarding, are fully in place and regularly reviewed. Governors have a clear understanding of teachers’ performance and the link to the national ‘Teachers’ Standards’ in relation to salary progression. Governors check on the impact of the school’s spending, including its use of the pupil premium funding and primary school sports funding to improve pupils’ overall achievement. The governing body makes good use of its professional expertise and has a strong commitment to on-going training.

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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 138577 Local authority Newcastle Upon Tyne Inspection number 440028

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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 Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 287 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Charles Turvil Headteacher Zoe Carr Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0191 265 5362 Fax number 0191 276 4478 Email address welbeck@wiseacademies.co.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 and 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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