Monkhouse Primary School

Monkhouse Primary School Wallington Avenue, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE30 3SH

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make a good start in their reading, writing and understanding of numbers. They quickly develop skills that allow them to work and play together confidently and independently.  Pupils’ progress from their starting points, including pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium, disabled pupils and those with special needs, is at least good in every year group. It accelerates quickly to be outstanding in Years 2, 5 and 6 because of the very high quality of teaching.  Teaching is consistently good and much is now outstanding. Pupils learn quickly and are now making rapid progress. Teachers apply their high expectations to all subjects, allowing pupils to use their skills in reading, writing and mathematics within their learning in a variety of subjects.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Expectation of behaviour is high, and results in pupils showing

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

high levels of trust and respect to each other and to adults in school. Pupils feel very safe and their attendance is excellent. They are usually eager to learn and are very proud of their school.  The senior leadership team, led exceptionally well by the headteacher and deputy headteacher, is highly ambitious for the school and is determined to further raise the attainment of all pupils. The actions taken have ensured that good achievement and the quality of teaching have been at least maintained and are now improving rapidly.  Senior and middle leaders carry out their roles very effectively, providing a sound basis for reviewing the quality of the school’s work and planning for the next steps.  The governing body is extremely well informed and knows the school inside out. It effectively challenges all aspects of the school’s work, while remaining highly supportive.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The rates of progress made by pupils and their standards of attainment over time have not yet been consistently high enough across all year groups in school.  Some of the most able pupils could be given more challenging work, the quality of marking is not yet consistently high enough and the standards of presentation in pupils’ books are variable.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons or parts of lessons including one joint observation with the headteacher and one joint observation with the deputy headteacher. In addition, inspectors listened to some pupils read and reviewed a sample of their written work alongside the headteacher.  Inspectors held meetings with different groups of people involved with the school. These included pupils, members of the governing body, the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, other members of the teaching staff and a representative of the local authority.  The 48 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), the school’s own surveys for parents and the inspection questionnaire completed by 26 members of the school’s staff were examined. The school’s informative website was reviewed.  Inspectors viewed a range of documents including information on pupils’ achievement, the school’s data on pupils’ current progress, documents relating to planning for improvement,

p.2

Information about this inspection

procedures to check the quality of teaching, documents relating to safeguarding and records of behaviour and attendance.

p.2

Inspection team

Philip Scott, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Deborah Bailey Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Monkhouse is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The number from minority ethnic backgrounds is low, and all of the pupils speak English.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding allocated for children in the care of the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the last inspection, there have been a number of changes in staffing including at senior management level.

p.3

Information about this school

 The school has recently become part of the North Tyneside Learning Trust.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to further improve the quality of teaching so that the standards of attainment and the rates of progress pupils make in their learning are consistently outstanding by:  sharing the outstanding practice already in school  providing even more challenging work for the most able pupils  ensuring that all teachers consistently mark work to the agreed high standard  accelerating the current drive to improve the presentation of work in pupils’ books and the quality of their handwriting.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well because teachers cater successfully for the full range of abilities in each class. They ensure that the vast majority of pupils make good progress from their individual starting points and, in the current school year, many of the most able pupils are making outstanding progress.  Most children start school in the Reception class with skills and abilities that are typical for their age. They make a good start in learning to read, write and in their understanding of numbers. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are good and were seen to be extended as pupils enthusiastically acted as pirates in role-play, made pirate swords and flags, and examined some frozen fish.  In Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment is rising and they make good progress. Pupils make outstanding progress in Year 2 because the teaching is consistently outstanding; this was observed, for example, in a lesson in which pupils were responding as the character ‘Crocodile

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

Man’ from The Rainbow Bird book, inferring how a character might feel. This led to some imaginative and creative writing.  Pupils in Key Stage 2 continue to make good progress, which accelerates rapidly in Years 5 and 6. This is because of highly skilled teaching, high expectations, quality marking of pupils’ work and pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning. The school’s own assessment information and work in pupils’ books indicate that pupils are reaching standards that are above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Attainment in writing is slightly lower than in reading, but is accelerating quickly. Some pupils have not yet mastered a handwriting style that allows them to write fluently and legibly; this slows the progress of some pupils, which remains good rather than outstanding.  In mathematics, teachers ensure pupils have the opportunity to use and develop their basic numeracy skills in a range of other subjects. In a Year 5 lesson, pupils were methodical and

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

tenacious in their attempts to find all the combinations for a 5-digit lock based upon a number of mathematical clues.  Reading is good across the school, and improving. Pupils make good progress because basic skills are taught effectively. Younger pupils in Key Stage 1 are eager to read, and use their increasingly secure knowledge of letters and the sounds that they make to read unfamiliar words. Older pupils are developing their fluency and understanding of what they are reading when reading for pleasure or researching in other subjects.  All groups of pupils make similarly good progress across the school. However, the progress made by a minority of the most able pupils is not as fast as it could be, as the work set in some classes is sometimes not challenging enough. The progress made by these most able pupils remains good rather than outstanding.  Early identification of pupils who are at risk of falling behind enables the school to make

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

effective provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. They make good progress because they are given activities well matched to their individual abilities and needs.  The performance of the small number of pupils eligible for free school meals and support through the pupil premium funding is good as a result of extra help and resources. The progress and attainment of this group of pupils now exceed those of their peers. The school’s commitment to providing equality of opportunity is excellent.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good across the school, and some is consistently outstanding. When pupils make outstanding progress, teachers have high expectations of what they can achieve, and the pace of learning and level of challenge enable pupils to concentrate and be fully involved in learning at all times. However, not all teaching has been or is consistently of this outstanding standard, which has resulted in pupils’ rates of progress and their standards of attainment not being consistently high over time.  Teachers often use imaginative strategies and devise exciting resources to capture pupils’ interest, such as in a Year 4 class where pupils were captivated by the scenario that the FIFA World Cup had been stolen. Pupils used inference and logic to examine clues to find the culprit who stole the cup and why that person did it, presenting their findings in a report.  Pupils benefit from teachers’ excellent subject knowledge, such as in a Year 6 lesson where the

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

teacher skilfully supported pupils’ writing of a magazine article describing a recent England football match. She was able to explain the similarities and differences with other types of writing, which helped pupils understand how to structure their work for maximum impact.  Pupils’ progress is continually checked, providing an accurate picture of what pupils know, can do, and their next steps in learning. Marking of work is thorough and regular, making good use of the pink and green highlighter pens to show what has been done well and how to improve. In some year groups, there is sometimes a lack of consistency in providing detailed comments and feedback for pupils, especially in mathematics, and teachers do not always insist that the pupils revisit and respond to the comments in their books. Pupils generally use their individual targets well and teachers update these targets regularly.  Teachers insist on high standards of behaviour in lessons and manage their classes extremely

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

well. This establishes a learning atmosphere conducive to good learning as pupils are eager to learn and work hard. Levels of trust and respect are high; pupils listen attentively to adults and each other, and their social and moral development is promoted extremely well in lessons.  Teachers’ planning, observation in lessons and work in pupils’ books show that most of the work undertaken by pupils successfully matches their ability and moves their learning forward. On occasions, the work given to the most able pupils or the ways in which they tackle it could be even more challenging. This is the case, for example, when the progress of the most able pupils slows because they spend time listening to explanations with the rest of the class when their responses indicate they are ready to get straight on with their task.  Teachers and teaching assistants work together very well, and give timely and constructive

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

advice to pupils, including disabled pupils or those with special educational needs. This ensures that pupils have the support and challenge that they need to make good progress. Pupils appreciate this support. They report that teachers are friendly and that they have fun. Parents feel that their children are taught very well.  Pupils are given a wide range of opportunities to use their English and mathematical skills in other subjects through an exciting and engaging curriculum. ‘Monkhouse University’ afternoons and enrichment weeks allow pupils opportunities to write for different purposes, solve problems and explore new ideas, such as during a topic on ‘My Money’ or studying the Titanic in Year 6.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Staff set high standards and pupils respond to these, showing high levels of respect to adults, visitors and their classmates. This ensures a happy, welcoming and harmonious place that is committed to succeed and has a very positive effect on the rate at which pupils learn. Pupils confidently report that they ‘are all very happy about our school’ and that ‘behaviour is good’.  Pupils typically behave very well in the playground, in the dining hall, around the school and in classrooms. They are polite and courteous to one another, to adults and to visitors. They know how to look after each other and are able to listen to one another and take turns. They move around the school impeccably, arriving and leaving assembly without a fuss or a noise, and show excellent manners.  Records show that minor incidents of poor behaviour are dealt with swiftly and effectively, and

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

how the school tracks issues faced by individual pupils and puts into place effective strategies to support them. The school’s own questionnaire and evidence from Parent View show that parents feel pupils behave very well and are kept safe at school.  Pupils have a clear understanding of the school’s systems to manage behaviour, and are aware of the different types of bullying they might encounter. They are confident that should any bullying occur, it would be quickly resolved by staff and stated that ‘the way we behave on the yard has really improved’.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good across the school, but very occasionally a few pupils can become disengaged from learning and lose concentration when teaching is not of a high enough standard and the pace of learning slows.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils report that they feel very safe in school and know how to stay safe out of school. They appreciate the range of visitors to

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

school, the information they receive in assemblies and in class on topics such as e-safety, and the rewards associated with the school’s ‘Good to be Green’ system.  The school has a range of effective strategies to ensure pupils attend regularly and are on time. As a result, attendance has improved and is currently well above average.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide excellent, inspirational leadership. They have developed an extremely effective whole-school team that supports and encourages each member to constantly improve and provide consistently high-quality teaching and guidance for all pupils. Staff morale is high, and can be summed up by one teacher who wrote, ‘Since I joined Monkhouse, I have met and worked with some of the most hardworking, dedicated professionals since my teaching career began.’  The school’s recent success owes much to the skilled, determined and uncompromising approach of the well-respected headteacher. The drive for further school improvement to raise the achievement of all pupils is based upon an accurate and realistic evaluation of what it already does well, a well-thought-through prioritisation of actions, and a clear identification of areas in which it still needs to improve.  Senior and middle leaders carry out their duties rigorously, and have a secure and accurate

p.6

The leadership and management are good

understanding of the strengths and aspects for development in teaching and learning across the school. This is achieved through robust and frequent procedures to check the quality of teaching and learning through formal and informal observations, discussions with pupils and teachers, and analysis of pupils’ work in books.  The performance of all staff is managed well. Staff have challenging objectives for improvement linked closely to the progress made by pupils. The school’s use of appropriate training matched to the needs of the school as well as individuals’ own needs is a real strength and success.  A number of the strengths of leadership and management are as a result of recent improvements; as such, they have not yet had sufficient time to ensure that greater numbers of pupils reach the higher levels of attainment and make consistently outstanding progress.  Pupils benefit from a lively, well-planned curriculum which contributes to their eagerness to learn

p.6

The leadership and management are good

and has a clear focus on pupils’ academic, physical and creative development. Opportunities to work collaboratively, demonstrate empathy, foster curiosity and imagination, and celebrate their own and others’ success support pupils’ strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school’s provision in music and singing is excellent.  The views of all pupils are valued and their talents nurtured, so all feel special. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated and all pupils have equality of opportunity to succeed.  Rigorous financial monitoring and evaluation ensures the funds the school receives are well used, including the pupil premium. Leaders and managers, including the governing body, have worked hard to ensure that the school is in secure financial position.  The new primary school sport funding is used very well to increase teachers’ expertise and provide a wider range of sporting opportunities including after-school clubs, now attended by

p.6

The leadership and management are good

nearly half of all pupils. Pupils also have greater access to inter-school competitions, and as a result of all new initiatives, the school is enabling pupils to develop healthier lifestyles and better physical well-being.  Safeguarding policies and procedures fully meet requirements. Record keeping and staff training are fully up to date.  Strong links exist between the school and parents who are very appreciative of the education their children receive. In response to the online questionnaire Parent View, 92% of the parents would recommend Monkhouse Primary to another parent.  The school has been proactive in developing partnership working since joining the North Tyneside Learning Trust. This has resulted in a range of benefits to the school and its pupils so far, such as enhanced staff training, pupils learning about blogging and tweeting, matched funding for information and communication technology hardware and pupils being considered for

p.6

The leadership and management are good

the Learning Trust’s Star Awards across 44 different schools.  The local authority has been proactive in supporting the school through a period of change, working alongside school staff in the monitoring and evaluation of provision and its impact on pupils’ learning.  The governance of the school:  Governors are very well informed and know their school extremely well. They have the skills and expertise to challenge and support the leaders appropriately, and ask searching questions. Governors make a significant contribution to the way in which leaders check on the effectiveness of the school’s performance and help to set areas for development. They are fully involved in the strategic planning and day-to-day life of the school.  Governors have an accurate view of teaching and its impact on pupils’ performance, and how well different groups of pupils achieve, including those eligible for the pupil premium funding.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

They have exercised high-quality financial monitoring to ensure that the school is in a sound position and check that any teachers’ salary increases links to their performance. The governing body is a real asset to the school.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 108576 Local authority North Tyneside Inspection number 432070

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 203 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Malcolm Bowie Headteacher Laura Baggett Date of previous school inspection 18 May 2009 Telephone number 0191 2006350 Fax number Not applicable Email address monkhouse.primary@northtyneside.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

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

p.10