Newham Bridge Primary School

Newham Bridge Primary School Cayton Drive, Acklam, Middlesbrough TS5 7NJ

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

This is a good school

 The school is improving quickly because the headteacher has very substantially raised teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve.  Attainment is rising quickly in response to the setting of challenging targets and consistently good or better teaching and assessment.  Pupils in all year groups achieve well, particularly in reading. There is a good classroom atmosphere for learning where pupils can work, debate and concentrate without distraction.  The school has an outstanding tracking system which enables managers to see exactly how much progress individual pupils are making and which ones need further support.  When pupils have not met the challenging targets that the school has set for them, teachers and their assistants provide effective support to enable them to catch up.  Pupils make good progress in a wide range of subjects and benefit from a good selection of extra-curricular activities. By the time they leave

p.1

This is a good school

Year 6 they are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Arrangements for pupils’ health, safety and welfare are outstanding. They provide excellent support for all groups of pupils as they move through the school.  Pupils are eager to learn and conduct themselves well in response to the high expectations of the adults who work with them.  The well-led and managed early years foundation stage provides outstanding welfare arrangements for children. They behave well and their personal development is outstanding.  The headteacher, governors and managers at all levels are effective in ensuring that teaching and pupils’ achievement continue to improve.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In the last two years, assessments at the end of Year 2 showed that pupils had not reached average attainment levels.  There is still scope for teachers to further accelerate the pace of learning, especially for higher-ability pupils.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement, so it is outstanding, by ensuring that: pupils in Key Stage 1 benefit from high-quality teaching which matches the school’s best practice, so that by the time they leave Year 2 they have reached at least average levels of attainment the rapid learning resulting from the best classroom practice currently evident in the school becomes the norm the most-able pupils are always challenged effectively so that they produce their best work.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Since the previous inspection when the school was deemed to require improvement, the headteacher and managers at all levels have acted swiftly to secure improving provision and outcomes for pupils. Development planning with clear success criteria and critical timescales has been implemented rigorously to substantially improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress rates.  The school now has very effective methods for checking on how it is doing and for setting targets for continuous improvement. There is no room for complacency as ever more challenging targets are set for the standards that pupils should reach, particularly in English and mathematics. Middle managers are an enthusiastic group and ensure that intended improvements materialise and that targets in their areas are met.  A particularly strong feature in the school’s improvement is the extremely accurate and comprehensive

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

system for collecting data on pupils’ progress in all year groups, analysing it and acting effectively to eliminate any slippage from challenging targets. An example is the extra staffing that has been allocated to a group of lower-ability pupils who had not been making expected progress.  The management of teaching is effective. Lesson observations lead to suggestions for areas for improvement so that the pace of learning in school continues to rise. Performance management arrangements are robust and effective, and pay is firmly linked to responsibilities and the progress that pupils make. The least experienced teachers are keen to point out that the quality of help and guidance they receive about best classroom practice is first-rate.  Strong promotion of equal opportunities means that all groups of pupils now make good progress. Excellent use of pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils has provided extra help for them so that

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

by Year 6 there is currently no difference between their rate of progress and that of other pupils.  Good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is skilfully embedded into the curriculum, which is wide-ranging and provides an excellent platform for pupils to prepare for the next stage in their education. For example, by Years 5 and 6, pupils learn how to conduct scientific experiments, collect results and write them up in a manner that will prepare them well for work in secondary school. The school’s primary sports funding not only provides many extra opportunities for pupils to become involved in the traditional sports clubs and teams but also enables them to try new activities such as tag rugby, tennis and orienteering. Preparation for life in modern Britain includes visits to places of worship for a variety of faiths.  The school has a very productive relationship with parents. Questionnaire returns show that they have

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

very few concerns, and that they are pleased with the quality of education that the school provides and the progress that their children are making both personally and academically. Good-quality guidance on transfer to secondary school means that pupils are ready to transfer when the time comes to move on.  The school enjoys a productive relationship with local authority officers who provide valuable guidance in helping the school to make substantial improvements.  The governance of the school governance has improved markedly since the previous inspection, when a review of its operation was necessary governors are now an effective group because they understand pupils’ progress data compared with the national picture and know where improvements still need to be made. Through their meetings with school managers, they probe and challenge when they believe that more can still be done. For example, they ask why Key Stage 1 assessment results are below average

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

they ensure that performance management arrangements are effective and that any salary progressions are fully merited. They understand how pupil premium funding is successfully used in raising attainment levels of disadvantaged pupils.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The checking of the identities of all adults who have access to pupils is exemplary.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 There have been recent substantial improvements in the quality of teaching as much higher expectations of what pupils can achieve are ever more strongly embedded into provision in all year groups.  Outstanding assessment procedures show teachers clearly how quickly pupils are making progress in the various subjects. Managers can identify any slippage immediately and put interventions in place to either fully stretch pupils or enable them to catch up, especially in reading, writing and mathematics. Good teaching of the school’s disadvantaged pupils, frequently in small groups, enables them to make the same good progress as other pupils.  Scrutiny of pupils’ most recent work shows that teaching has been consistently good for at least the past year. Pupils say that teaching is good and that they enjoy their lessons.  In class, teachers routinely manage their pupils well. They explain tasks clearly so pupils always know

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

what is expected of them. Good planning of lessons ensures that time is used well and that lessons usually cater effectively for pupils of all abilities. Good questioning of pupils clearly identifies what they have fully understood and where further consolidation of learning is necessary. Regular homework consolidates learning effectively.  Frequently, teachers inspire their pupils to make really rapid progress. For example, pupils in Year 2 were observed making outstandingly quick progress with rhyming words and alliteration. The most-able pupils in Year 6 substantially extended their learning by fully mastering the calculation of areas of parallelograms and volumes of cuboids.  Teachers use the skills of classroom assistants well, especially in the provision of extra help and support for lower-ability pupils and those with disabilities or special educational needs.  Teachers provide pupils with good feedback on the quality of their work so they know what they have

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

done well and what they need to do to improve it further.  Although higher-ability pupils usually do challenging work, occasionally teachers do not expect enough of them and so limit their potential for making quicker progress. Occasionally the teacher is unaware that pupils have completed their work and therefore become disengaged.  Teachers usually provide pupils with plenty of opportunity to apply their language and numerical skills to the subjects that they study, but there is still further scope in mathematics lessons to ensure that pupils understand how the work they are doing relates to the world outside the classroom.

p.4

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils become vastly more confident and self-assured as they move through the school because teachers and their assistants really go the extra mile to give them every opportunity to succeed. Very effective extra help enables the considerable numbers of pupils from challenging backgrounds or with complex needs to develop personal and learning skills exceptionally well. Consequently, when they reach the end of Year 6, they are perfectly ready to move to their chosen secondary school.  Participation in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, often provided through very effective use of primary sport funding, is a strong feature in pupils’ personal development and opens their eyes to new interests and horizons.  Pupils feel perfectly safe in school. They say that there is very little poor conduct, bullying or abuse of any

p.4

Personal development and welfare

description. The school’s records confirm their positive view. Pupils say that if they have problems they would completely trust the adults in school to help them.  Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe because the school makes every effort to ensure that they fully appreciate any potential threats to their welfare, such as lifts offered by strangers and dangers posed by roads, railways and the internet if used unwisely.  Very strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development ensures that pupils have every opportunity to develop into mature, productive adult citizens who understand the diverse nature of the cultures that make up Britain.

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Teachers and their assistants work very effectively as a team to establish clear expectations and routines from the time that pupils join Nursery and Reception. Consequently, pupils conduct themselves well in class, when moving around school, socialising in play areas and having lunch.  Pupils quickly develop positive attitudes to learning and relate exceptionally well to teachers and their assistants. In class, they play their part in ensuring that there is a calm atmosphere for learning. From an early age they learn to take turns in answering questions in class and working in pairs and groups, and to sustain concentration when producing written work. Only very occasionally do pupils become disengaged in class when the teacher is not fully aware of what they are doing, which is why behaviour is not yet outstanding. There is no evidence of any disruption caused by poor conduct.

p.4

Behaviour

 Pupils’ attendance has improved over recent years to broadly average levels for primary schools while persistent absence has fallen in response to rigorous monitoring and effective contacts with many families. Nevertheless, there is still a small group of pupils who miss part of their education due to holidays taken in term time.

p.5

Outcomes for pupils are good

 There have been substantial improvements in achievement since the time of the previous inspection. Year 6 test results in 2014 rose considerably compared with the previous year to compare favourably with the national average in attainment and progress. The 2015 results confirmed the upward trend and reflected the good progress that pupils made since joining the school.  All groups of pupils currently in school, especially the lower ability, the most able, those who are disabled or who have special educational needs and those who have English as a second language are progressing well. For example, all groups of pupils in Year 6 have progressed well in reading, writing and mathematics since Year 2 in terms of the proportion making expected progress and those doing better than that. There is a similar picture in other year groups where progress is at least good and sometimes outstanding. This means that pupils have mostly made up for any previous slippage and are frequently progressing more

p.5

Outcomes for pupils are good

quickly than pupils nationally.  In 2014, disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 were a year behind other pupils in the school in mathematics, but their attainment was similar to that of other pupils in reading and writing. Compared with other pupils nationally, they were a term behind in mathematics, a term ahead in reading and around six weeks behind in writing. Effective use of pupil premium funding to create smaller teaching groups and much individual attention for those pupils with the most complex needs meant that there were no significant gaps between the performance of disadvantaged and other pupils in the unvalidated Year 6 national tests of 2015.  Typically, children enter Nursery with stages of development that are low compared with expectations for their ages. They make good progress in early years and enter Year 1 with average proportions having reached a good stage of development. In the last two years, pupils have progressed well in phonics

p.5

Outcomes for pupils are good

where results at age six have been above average. However, assessments at the end of Year 2, although improving, have recently been below average. Nevertheless, pupils have progressed well between Years 3 and 6 to meet average national standards by the time they are ready to transfer to secondary education.  The relentless acceleration of progress in all year groups means that even in Year 2, where previous cohorts have underachieved, pupils are making great strides forward. In reading, writing and mathematics they are learning exceptionally quickly in response to teaching which is lifting their levels of attainment rapidly.  Throughout the school, pupils’ written work is of an impressive standard. It is extensive, well-presented and often of high quality. Lower-ability pupils make great academic gains as they move through the school to the extent that by Year 6 even the weakest readers are fluent, accurate and understand what

p.5

Outcomes for pupils are good

they are reading. The school takes exceptional care of its disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, enabling them to make the same progress as other pupils. For example, the school provides very effective small-group and one-to-one tuition to enable new arrivals to the UK to quickly become fluent speakers. The most-able pupils also frequently benefit from extra tuition to challenge them fully. However, variable provision for them in some year groups means that there is often scope for them to achieve more.  The school ensures that by the time pupils leave Year 6 to go to secondary school, they have the skills necessary to make a success of the next stage of their education. They read fluently, comprehension is good and they can write at length for a variety of audiences.

p.5

Early years provision is good

 All groups of children in Nursery and Reception classes achieve well, including those with disabilities or special educational needs. Children soon get used to the expectations of teachers and their assistants and behave well. In Nursery, they progress well in response to good teaching as they rapidly get used to routines and have the opportunity to choose from a very wide range of activities through the excellent provision of resources. In Reception, progress is also good because good teaching skilfully develops children’s understanding and competence through a very wide range of activities and many very compelling stories and songs which fully engage their attention and interest.  Children relate very well to the adults who work with them and they trust them. They are happy in school and enjoy the activities that the staff prepare for them. On entry to Nursery, children’s levels of development are low. They make good progress through the early years to the extent that average

p.6

Early years provision is good

proportions join Year 1 with a good level of development. However, a significant minority of pupils are still well behind expectations for age in terms of communication and literacy as they transfer to Key Stage 1.  There is effective leadership and management of the early years and outstanding welfare arrangements. All members of staff are keen to ensure that the children, often from challenging backgrounds or with complex needs, really flourish in an exceptionally supportive environment. Assessment is outstanding so staff know exactly how quickly children are progressing and which ones need extra support.

p.6

School details

Unique reference number 111585 Local authority Middlesbrough Inspection number 10002097

p.7

School details

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

p.7

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 315 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Walker Headteacher Beverley Hewitt-Best Telephone number 01642 816884 Website http://newhambridge.co.uk/ Email address contact@newhambridge.org.uk Date of previous inspection 18–19 September 2013

p.7

Information about this school

 Newham Bridge Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are White British.  A small proportion of pupils of Indian and Pakistani heritage have English as their second language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported through the pupil premium, is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

p.7

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons, including seven jointly with the headteacher and her deputy, and looked at a wide range of pupils’ written work, especially in English, mathematics and science.  They held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, middle managers, the special needs coordinator, the leader of early years, groups of pupils, representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documents, including the school’s review of its performance, improvement planning, governors’ minutes, records of pupils’ progress, safeguarding procedures and incident logs.  They took account of a parental survey recently carried out by the school because the number of responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) was very small. Inspectors also took account of questionnaire responses from members of staff.

p.8

Inspection team

John Paddick, Lead Inspector Ofsted Inspector James Hannah Ofsted Inspector Donald Parker Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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.8

Inspection team

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.9

Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.9

Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

p.9

Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspection team

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

p.9