Tweedmouth West Primary School

Tweedmouth West First School Osborne Road, Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 2HS

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a good school

 Leaders and teachers make sure pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 make good progress. As a result, pupils’ achievement is improving. The vast majority of pupils attain the standards expected for their age and many accomplish higher levels.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers plan work to meet pupils’ needs, making good use of regular assessments and questioning to deepen learning.  Subject leaders for English and mathematics provide training for staff to improve the quality of teaching. They regularly check that this training has a positive impact on pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ personal development and welfare are good. Pupils receive good support which nurtures their development. They grow in confidence and become responsible learners.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They value their time in school and attendance is good.  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement.

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This is a good school

They provide effective challenge and support to senior leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Provision for children in the early years requires improvement. Expectations are too low and children do not achieve well enough in reading, writing and number work.  The impact of teaching over time does not yet result in pupils making outstanding progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching across the school to achieve outstanding outcomes for pupils, by:  sharing the very good practice which exists within the school to further develop the overall quality of teaching  making effective use, by leaders and teachers, of the recently introduced assessment system for recording pupils’ progress  consistently deploying teaching assistants effectively to ensure that they increase their impact on pupils’ learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve children’s outcomes in the early years, by:  improving the teaching of reading, writing and number  raising expectations for behaviour and children’s involvement with learning  organising and deploying adults effectively to develop children’s learning when they are choosing activities  making effective use of the early years assessment systems, by leaders and teachers, to check children’s progress  regular checking, by senior leaders, of the effectiveness of provision to understand what is helping children to make accelerated progress and what is not working.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher have successfully maintained good standards and outcomes in Key Stages 1 and 2 since the last inspection. They have effectively managed changes in staffing. At the same time they have created an ethos where the personal development of pupils is equally important.  Leaders research good practice in order to improve teaching and pupils’ outcomes. For example, to tackle the required improvements to mathematics identified at the last inspection leaders accessed local, national and international training. This has developed the use of more open-ended mathematics problem solving to stretch pupils’ mathematical understanding. As a result, pupils’ achievement in mathematics by the end of Year 2 has been above and often well above that found nationally.  Subject leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in English and mathematics. Their actions to support teachers with planning, resources and training have improved the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

quality of teaching. They carefully check that these actions are having a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes.  Effective leadership is provided for pupils who have special educational needs or disability. Well-planned provision in classrooms, additional interventions and nurture groups enable these pupils to make good progress. Parents are very positive about the support that the school provides for pupils who have special educational needs or disability.  The curriculum is well planned to meet the interests and needs of all pupils. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their work across a range of subjects. After-school clubs and outdoors learning successfully enrich the curriculum. For example, outdoor learning enables pupils to develop gardening and forest skills and prompts their appreciation of care for the environment.  Systems to manage teachers’ performance are thorough. Staff new to the school are well supported.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Appropriate training is used to develop teachers’ skills and senior and subject leaders regularly check that this is making a difference to pupils’ learning.  The pupil premium funding is spent to good effect. Targeted support to groups of pupils across the school is closing gaps in learning. The school carefully checks the progress of these pupils. This pupil progress information shows that the majority are currently working at the levels expected for their age and some are working beyond these levels. Attendance levels for these pupils are good. This is because the school has in place supportive strategies such as a breakfast club.  The additional funding for sport and physical education is used effectively to increase the opportunities that pupils have to enjoy physical activities and learn from specialist coaches. This has provided pupils with a wider range of sports, increasing participation and helping them to develop healthy lifestyles.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The curriculum provides pupils with opportunities to learn about a wide range of cultures and world faiths. Assemblies develop pupils’ empathy, for example, by reflecting on the effect of their actions on the feelings of others.  Teaching and the curriculum provide pupils with a good understanding of tolerance and respect for the views of others. Pupils’ roles such as school council members and sports crew engender a sense of responsibility and an understanding of how democracy works. This prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.  Leaders use a range of approaches to inform parents about how reading and mathematics is taught. This helps parents to support pupils’ learning at home.  The recently introduced assessment system does not yet provide staff and leaders with a sharp enough measure of the progress made by pupils. This is because the system is developing, there are only a limited

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

number of assessments included and leaders have an emerging understanding of how to analyse the available information.  Leaders are not as effective in their work to support the early years provision. As a result, not enough children achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.  The support and challenge to the school from the local authority adviser has made a positive contribution to the school’s determination to maintain good outcomes for pupils. However, recent local authority support for the development of the early years has not yet had the required impact.  The governance of the school  Governors generally know the school well and provide effective challenge to senior leaders. Focused visits to school enable governors to form a clear overview of the school’s improvement. For example, a recent visit provided governors with a better understanding of the effectiveness of the school’s assessment

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

system.  Governors ensure that performance management systems are rigorously implemented to ensure that pay progression is well linked to staff performance.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Strong, robust systems and practice are in place. Staff and governors receive regular and appropriate training. For example, staff and many governors have received training to help identify signs of extremism and radicalisation.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching is good in the majority of classes across the school, leading to good rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Most teachers use a wide range of approaches to engage pupils’ interest. Pupils are challenged to explain their thinking which deepens their learning. For example, problem-solving activities in mathematics encourage pupils to describe how they achieve solutions, not just provide the answer.  Pupils’ effectively develop their writing skills because teachers provide them with lots of opportunities to rehearse their ideas orally before starting their work. The use of model texts also ensures that the pupils know the key features which will lead to quality writing. Teachers make good use of assessments to identify where pupils’ punctuation and grammar needs to improved and promptly put in place teaching to address these learning gaps.  A well-structured approach to the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is adopted across the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

school. This teaching is particularly strong in Year 1 where it is led by the subject leader for English. As a result, the vast majority of pupils achieve the expected standard in phonics by the end of Year 1.  Pupils read well and enjoy reading both in and out of school. Regular structured reading lessons effectively develop pupils’ comprehension and vocabulary skills. Because of this, pupils make good progress and the vast majority reach at least the expected standards in reading.  The school’s marking policy is well understood by pupils. Generally, teachers are using the marking codes of ‘pink for think’ and ‘green for good’ to demonstrate to pupils where their work needs improvement. However, the use of ‘blue to improve’ is not always as well implemented and sometimes opportunities to develop pupils’ work are missed.  The impact of teaching assistants on pupils’ learning and social skills is variable. Where it is strongest, pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

are both supported and challenged to move their learning forward. Sometimes the teaching assistant role in whole-class sessions is less well defined and their impact on learning is limited.  Teaching in the early years is less effective as staff do not always set high enough expectations or interact with children to extend their thinking when they are choosing their own activities.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are self-confident and prepared to put forward their views in a thoughtful and respectful way. This is because they are taught how to ask questions and listen carefully to the views of others. For example, in one history lesson a pupil confidently took the role of a soldier in the Crimean War while other pupils asked questions about the conditions in the hospital at the time of Florence Nightingale.  Pupils feel safe and valued as members of the school community. They know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. The school’s curriculum and a range of visits provide pupils with a good understanding of how to stay safe. The regular teaching in the outdoors provides pupils with opportunities to develop their learning and promote their self-esteem.  The school has very effective systems to improve pupils’ self-esteem and confidence. For example the

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Personal development and welfare

nurture group provides sensitive guidance on improving social skills. Pupils are proud when they are selected to join the headteacher for lunch at the ‘Captain’s Table’ which provides another opportunity to foster self- confidence and reward positive attitudes.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted by opportunities to develop tolerance and consideration for the needs of others. This work reflects the school’s principles of respect, responsibility and resilience, which are developed with all pupils.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons, pupils work hard, cooperate well in groups and are keen to share their learning with others.  During playtimes and lunchtimes pupils are well behaved and engage in lively games or in quieter sociable activities. Well-thought-through support is in place for pupils who need extra guidance and support at lunchtime.  A small number of parents raised concerns about how the school deals with incidents of bullying. Inspectors discussed this with pupils and considered pupils’ responses to the online survey. Pupils understand the different forms that bullying can take. They also believe that on the rare occasions that bullying took place that it would be well dealt with by staff and senior leaders. The school has age-appropriate systems in place for pupils to alert staff of any concerns they may have. The school’s bullying log demonstrates that senior leaders take this issue seriously.

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Behaviour

 Rates of attendance are above the national average. Pupils are keen to come to school and know that regular attendance and good punctuality support their learning. The school’s breakfast club provision promotes attendance levels as well as providing a positive start to the day for some pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Outcomes for pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are good because pupils make good progress from their starting points. By the end of Year 2, almost all pupils are working at the expected levels for their age and many are working at higher levels. Pupils continue to make good progress to the end of Year 4 and are well prepared for their next school.  Pupils’ achievement in the Year 1 phonics screen is good and the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard has been above the national figure for the last two years.  In 2015, all Year 2 disadvantaged pupils achieved the expected level in reading and the majority achieved this in mathematics. The school’s progress information shows that generally these pupils are working close to or at the levels expected for their age. Where disadvantaged pupils are working below the expected levels, specific support is helping them to catch up.  The achievement of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is carefully checked by the

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Outcomes for pupils are good

school. From their starting points these pupils make at least expected progress. This is because they receive good support and the teaching is mostly well matched to their needs.  The most-able pupils achieve well. The proportions of pupils reaching the higher standards by the end of Year 2 have been above the national figures for the last three years. The school’s progress information shows that many of the most-able pupils have already reached the expected standard for their age at the mid-point of the year. Some of these pupils are already working on more challenging activities to deepen their learning.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 While there is some variation of children’s starting points year on year, most children start the school at levels just below those typical for their age. They develop well in areas such as communication skills and personal, social and emotional development. However, fewer children reach the levels of development in reading, writing and number than are found nationally. This reduces their readiness to start in Year 1.  The school’s approaches to assessing children’s level of development on entry to Reception are not sufficiently developed. The recently introduced baseline assessments have not added clarity to the school’s assessments. Leaders do not have a sharp enough view of children’s starting points at the beginning of Reception.  The quality of teaching is variable. In teacher-led sessions generally children are focused on the learning, for example when they are practising the retelling of a story. However, in some group work and when children

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Early years provision requires improvement

choose their own activities they are less focused and their learning is more limited.  Organisation of staffing within the early years is not strong enough. Recent developments of assigning key workers to children are not yet fully effective and children are sometimes left for too long without any adult involvement when choosing their own activities.  Where children make choices about their learning, adults do not intervene to extend their learning effectively. Opportunities to question, demonstrate or encourage are often missed. As a result, children’s learning is not moving forward at a quick enough pace.  Some children do not pay attention when staff are teaching in adult-led sessions. This is because expectations for behaviour are not high enough and staff do not provide clear guidance on what is required to be a good learner.  Leaders have set aspirational targets for children’s outcomes this year. Additional support is in place to

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Early years provision requires improvement

improve achievement in reading, writing and number for the most-able children. At present, it is not possible to determine the impact on children’s outcomes.  Partnership working is a strength of the early years. The early years leader has worked with the main pre- school providers to develop shared approaches to teaching and assessment. Effective links with parents are in place to help children make a settled transition into school. Where necessary, the school works well with other agencies, such as speech therapists, to ensure that children receive early support.  Safeguarding in the Reception class is effective and all welfare requirements are met.

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School details

Unique reference number 122186 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 10003757

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school First School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4–9 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 146 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Kirsty Randall Headteacher Mrs Anne Rutherford Telephone number 01289 306151 Website www.tweedmouthwest.northumberland.sch.uk Email address admin@tweedmouthwest.northumberland.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 October 2010

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  There is one full-time Reception class.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average. (Pupil premium is the funding the school receives for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those pupils whose first language not believed to be English is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils with special education support is above the national average. The proportion of pupils with a special educational needs statement or education, health and care plan is the same as the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed a range of lessons and part lessons in all classes. The headteacher joined the inspectors for the majority of the observations in lessons during the inspection.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around school and reviewed the school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The inspectors observed pupils in the playground and during lunchtime.  The inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in their books and in the learning journals of children in the early years.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and teachers responsible for leading English, mathematics and the early years as well as the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body and held a meeting with a representative from the local authority.  A group of pupils discussed their opinions about the school, their attitudes and their learning with an

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Information about this inspection

inspector. Inspectors listened to a total of six Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils read.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View. Inspectors held discussions with parents at the beginning and end of the school day.  The lead inspector considered the 11 staff questionnaire responses received.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including minutes from meetings of the governing body, pupils’ achievement information, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and development plan. Behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Michael Reeves, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Judith James 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 .

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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.

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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

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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,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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