Stanhope Primary School

Stanhope Primary School Gresford Street, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 4SZ

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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 an assembly, pupils sang the school anthem: ‘Welcome to Stanhope, a happy friendly school. We try our best in all we do’. Inspectors agree that pupils, staff and governors have high expectations and that the school cares for its community.  Pupils make good progress across their time at school in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers help disabled pupils and those with special educational needs to make good progress, because they know the pupils well and are skilled at asking questions and explaining things clearly.  Teaching is good and often imaginative. Teachers choose interesting tasks which appeal to pupils who have good attitudes to learning.  Pupils enjoy coming to school. They have high levels of respect of each other and the teachers. The school is a happy community.  Behaviour is good because it is managed well by teachers. Pupils are calm, happy and confident individuals. They are proud of the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school and feel safe.  The headteacher is supported well by other leaders and a very ambitious governing body. They have a good understanding of what is going well and what still needs improving.  Strong leadership has ensured that the quality of teaching and the standards pupils attain continue to improve.  A wide range of interesting activities is on offer, both within lessons and as extra- curricular activities, such as Spanish, cooking, choir and ‘Stanhope’s got talent’.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some children in the Early Years Foundation Stage do not make as much progress as they should.  There are a few occasions when teachers give pupils work that is too hard or too easy.  Sometimes marking does not always help pupils move on or improve.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons or parts of lessons.  They observed groups of pupils working with teaching assistants and listened to some pupils reading from different year groups in lessons. They talked to pupils in lessons and two specific groups of pupils about life at school, and the work they were doing.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ work with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with four members of the governing body, as well as teaching staff, including middle and senior leaders. Discussions were held with the school improvement partner, who works to support and challenge the school, on behalf of the local authority.  Inspectors took into account staff questionnaires and recent reports into the opinions of parents, staff and students about the school. They considered the responses to the Ofsted on-line questionnaire, (Parent View). Inspectors spoke informally to some parents at the beginning and

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Information about this inspection

the end of the school day.  Inspectors observed the overall work of the school and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s data about pupils’ current progress. They also studied documents relating to safeguarding, governance, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors also looked at a range of other evidence, including school displays, the school website, and evidence representing the school’s wider achievements beyond the classroom.

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Inspection team

Michael Wardle, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Frank Cain Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are White British. The school has an above-average proportion of pupils from other cultural backgrounds, predominantly Sikh.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is high.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is high. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end

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Information about this school

of Year 6.  The school has the following awards, among others: Healthy School status and the Eco-school award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of outstanding teaching by:  increasing the opportunities for pupils to write at length in different subjects and in different contexts  ensuring that marking helps pupils to move on and know how to improve  ensuring that work is not too easy or too hard.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage by:  making sure that outdoor activities better support the development of the children  ensuring that all adults observe children’s development more closely to enable them to move learning on in a timely fashion.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage, they have skills below those expected for their age. Specifically, their speech and language skills are weak. Overall, provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage helps children make progress in these areas, so that by the time they move into Year 1, they have made improvements in these areas. They make steady progress in other areas of learning, and enjoy their time in the Nursery and Reception classes. They develop a high level of confidence, both socially and in their learning, which prepares them well for Key Stage 1.  Pupils make good progress in their reading, writing and mathematics through Key Stage 1. Year by year the standards pupils reach at the end of Key Stage 1 are improving. The standards reached by pupils in the phonics test (checking the understanding of letters and the sounds they make), have increased markedly.  Pupils continue to make good progress through Key Stage 2. Pupils leave the school at the end

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The achievement of pupils is good

of Year 6 with attainment that is consistently in line with the national average. This is good progress from their starting points.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make very good progress. They are supported well by teachers and support staff who know how to help them improve. Their positive attitude to learning helps them make good progress. The standards they reach are higher than those of similar pupils in other schools.  Similarly, those pupils supported through the pupil premium funding, including those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, make good progress. The standards they reach are higher than for similar pupils in other schools, and the progress they make more rapid. They reach the same standards in reading, writing and mathematics as other pupils in school.  The most-able pupils are also making good progress from their starting points. In a Year 3

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The achievement of pupils is good

geography lesson, pupils were researching specialist vocabulary linked to volcanoes, including composite volcano and pyroclastic flow. The most-able pupils were fully challenged by the task they were set in this lesson, and one of them created a booklet for the inspectors to show how much he had learned.  Pupils from other cultural backgrounds make good progress. Those who speak English as an additional language reach the same standards as their peers do by the time they leave Year 6. As such, all pupils are prepared to move into secondary school. The fact that different groups of pupils are making equally good progress shows that the school promotes equal opportunities well.  Achievement is not outstanding, because progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 is weaker than in Key Stage 2.  Pupils say that they enjoy reading. The school uses a variety of strategies, including guided

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The achievement of pupils is good

reading and small-group work to help pupils make good progress in reading.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Inspectors agree with parents and staff that the quality of teaching is good.  Teachers make clear to pupils what they are going to learn. Good relationships and the way teachers organise their classrooms help pupils to make good progress. Teachers use different teaching methods to make work interesting, and sometimes exciting.  Across Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils improve their skills and understanding quickly, because teachers generally expect the best from their pupils. They challenge pupils to think deeply about what they are learning, for example, through the questions they ask, and they used their responses to correct errors and introduce new ideas.  Sometimes teaching is very imaginative and provides a real ‘hook’ to engage the pupils. In a Year 1 lesson, pupils were very excited to tell the inspector that an alien had left a message on their teacher’s answer machine. Having listened to the message and drawn a picture of the

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The quality of teaching is good

alien, pupils were desperate to write a description of their alien. Using ‘steps to success’ which helps pupils know exactly what to do to improve their work, descriptions were of a high quality, interesting and fun.  Support staff are skilled in explaining things clearly to pupils and use a range of techniques to check on understanding. They give clear instructions to pupils about what they have to do and are quick to sort out any misunderstandings that may have arisen. This is particularly the case for pupils with special educational needs.  The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good and helps the pupils to make good progress. Sometimes however, opportunities to write at length in different subjects are missed.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage helps children make gains in areas of weakness. For example, there is a clear focus on developing language and creative thinking to help children

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The quality of teaching is good

extend their ideas. This clearly works, as many children talk at length about what they are doing and what they like by the time they start Year 1. Children who speak English as an additional language make good progress in developing their English speaking skills.  Sometimes opportunities are missed outdoors to move children’s learning on in a timely fashion in the Nursery and Reception classes, because adults do not pay close enough attention to children’s development when they play and work outside.  Teaching across the school is not outstanding, because there are a few occasions when work is too hard or too easy for pupils. When this happens, the less-able pupils find it hard to understand or complete their work and the most able are not challenged to think deeply enough. Marking does not always help the pupils to move on or know how to improve, but on other occasions, for example, in Year 4 English, marking is exceptional.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They are friendly, confident and courteous to adults and other pupils. There is a calm atmosphere in the building, and a sense of fun at break time and lunchtime. One pupil told the inspectors that behaviour inside was good, and that outside it was ‘joyful’. Playground buddies ensure that the outside environment is safe and that pupils are not left out of games.  In lessons, pupils focus very well on the task in hand and most try their best to get on with their work and make progress. They show very positive attitudes to their learning and are excited to talk about lessons and their school.  Pupils are rightly very proud of their school. The environment is clean and tidy, and classrooms well decorated. Pupils walk sensibly in school and the work in books is generally tidy.  Some pupils find it more difficult than most to behave well. Systems and processes have a

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

positive impact on their behaviour over their time at school.  Pupils have a good understanding of the difference between right and wrong, and often have the opportunity to reflect upon their friendships, opinions, behaviour and beliefs. There is a good level of acceptance in the school community, and pupils from other cultural backgrounds, of which many are Sikh, are fully integrated, and any differences celebrated.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe and say they feel very safe in school. They also have a good awareness of different types of bullying, including prejudice bullying and cyber-bullying, about which they have few concerns. They know that any incidents will be dealt with quickly and effectively by the school. Where there is any unkind behaviour, for example, name-calling, pupils say this is dealt with promptly by adults.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy coming to school. As a result, attendance continues to improve and is above average. Pupils arrive at school on time. Exclusions are rarely used.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, supported by a strong senior leadership team, sets high aspirations for the outcomes achieved by pupils, regardless of their starting point or circumstances. Feedback given in the staff survey shows that morale is high and teachers are proud to work in the school.  The school’s procedures for checking the quality of teaching and the progress that the pupils are making, are good. Advice given to teachers to help them continue developing their professional skills is very effective and as a result, the quality of teaching continues to improve. Links with a local Teaching School have had a very positive impact on the development of teaching.  The school has an accurate view of its own performance and plans put in place aimed at improving the progress of individual pupils and particular groups, are focused and effective.  Senior leaders have used performance management and the appraisal process to challenge

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The leadership and management are good

areas of underperformance. As a result, teachers currently at school meet the Teachers’ Standards comfortably.  The new leader in the Early Years Foundation Stage has made an excellent start in strengthening provision and providing expert guidance to other adults in the setting. Other middle leaders are also providing good leadership in their areas of responsibility.  The school and the governing body have been proactive in engaging with parents and the local community. There is a parent-teacher association, and events such as ‘Start better, eat better’ are further strengthening links.  The curriculum provides exciting opportunities for pupils. Within the curriculum, there are high expectations evident in science, history, geography, music and Spanish, among other subjects. Sometimes opportunities for pupils to write at length and to practise and apply their literacy skills are missed, but pupils say that they enjoy the wide range of topics and subjects studied.

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The leadership and management are good

 Events after school, some of which are provided as a result of the primary school sport funding, are helping pupils focus on enjoying school, participating in sports and developing healthy lifestyles. The funding is used well to provide coaches, dance classes and other opportunities, and more pupils are now involved in sports. During the inspection, ‘Stanhope’s got talent’ was well under way, and pupils talked animatedly about this.  The school’s procedures for checking that pupils are safe are in line with what is expected and give no cause for concern.  The local authority provides good support to the school.  The school’s ability to carry on making improvements is good. The track record of the headteacher and the leadership team in raising standards, is strong.  The governance of the school:  Governors understand the strengths of the school and focus resources, both by way of finance and staffing, in areas where improvements are needed. As such, they know the school, plan

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The leadership and management are good

well for its future, and hold school leaders to account for further improvements. They are fully committed to the pupils in their care.  The governors have a keen sense of their duty and want to improve their own effectiveness. They evaluate their own performance and ensure that meetings and committees meet the current needs of the school.  Governors have a good understanding of the progress the pupils are making, including those who are eligible for the pupil premium. They ensure that the training of and the performance of teachers is managed well, so that salaries and promotion generally reflect performance. Where performance is weaker, this is challenged well.  Governors ensure that the school meets its statutory requirements, for example, for keeping pupils safe. They have good overview of how finance is used, such as the additional funding to support eligible pupils and the extra sport funding.

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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 108676 Local authority South Tyneside Inspection number 430932

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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 239 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair L Marshall Headteacher John Vasey Date of previous school inspection 2 May 2012 Telephone number 0191 4201710 Fax number 0191 4566235 Email address info@stanhope.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 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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