Fellgate Primary School

Fellgate Primary School Oxford Way, Durham Drive, Fellgate Estate, Jarrow, Tyne and Wear NE32 4XA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not made sure that teaching, in a range of subjects, consistently challenges pupils, including the most able and disadvantaged pupils, to achieve as well as they can. Too few pupils attain the highest standards, particularly in mathematics.  Some teachers, especially in the early years and in key stage 1, do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can do.  Teachers do not make consistently good use of assessment to set work at the right level for pupils.  Following the introduction of a new system to track pupils’ achievement, leaders do not have a clear enough view of the progress of different groups of pupils across the school. Consequently, leaders’ evaluation of the school’s effectiveness is not incisive.  Some pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make progress as quickly as they should.  Subject, phase and middle leaders do not set precise enough targets to improve the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

outcomes achieved by all groups of pupils. This hampers their ability to improve pupils’ achievement in their areas of responsibility.  Leaders, including governors, have not checked well enough on the impact of additional funding.  Some tensions exist in the school between staff and leaders following a period of instability in leadership and some reorganisation of staffing.  Although reducing, the absence and persistent absence of pupils are above average.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have improved the quality of teaching across key stage 2. This strong teaching is enabling more pupils to achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.  Staff and leaders at all levels are passionate about improving the school. They know their pupils well and have excellent relationships with pupils and their families.  Pupils who attend the school’s additionally resourced provision, The Base, achieve well. The assistant headteacher in charge of The Base provides effective leadership which is valued by staff and families.  Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning, behave well and show respectful and tolerant attitudes to others.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the consistency of teaching so that it secures strong progress from all pupils, in a wide range of subjects, including in the early years and key stage 1, by ensuring that: – teachers increase their expectations of how well pupils can and should achieve – teachers make good use of assessment information to set work at the right level for pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and the most able – pupils are given regular opportunities to solve complex problems and explain their reasoning so that more reach the highest standards in mathematics – teaching in areas such as science and the humanities focuses on the progression of pupils’ subject-specific skills – teachers address inaccuracies in pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar – staff benefit from a carefully planned programme of training and support which includes opportunities to learn from the best practice within the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management, including governance, by: – refining the system for tracking pupils’ achievement so that leaders at all levels have an accurate, strategic view of the progress made by different groups of pupils – addressing tensions between staff and leaders so that the whole staff team is working together to improve the school – setting precise and measurable targets to improve the performance of the school so that governors can hold leaders, including middle, phase and subject leaders, to account robustly for their actions – monitoring more closely the absence and persistent absence of pupils, including groups of pupils, and taking swift action to reduce this to at least in line with the national average – reviewing the impact of additional funding routinely, including that for disadvantaged pupils, those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and spending on physical education (PE) and sport, so that governors can be sure

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

it is used to best effect – publishing the correct information on the school’s website to comply with statutory guidance. External reviews of governance and the school’s use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how these aspects of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Over time, leaders have improved some aspects of teaching, learning and assessment in the school, leading to better outcomes for pupils at the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. This demonstrates leaders’ capacity to secure further improvements to the school. Despite this, some inconsistencies remain in the quality of teaching, particularly in key stage 1 and in the early years, which means that all pupils do not achieve as well as they should.  Following a period of instability in leadership, some systems, such as a new approach to track the achievement of pupils, are not understood well by all leaders. Leaders are clear about the attainment of pupils and can explain the progress of individual pupils. However, they do not all have a strategic oversight of the progress made by different groups of pupils. This has led to leaders’ overgenerous evaluation of the effectiveness of the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 An ongoing review of staffing ratios and some reorganisation of staffing within the school has resulted in tension between some staff and leaders. Staff do not all feel confident in the support they have received from leaders to help them to adjust to the new arrangements. While all staff and leaders are determined to provide the best education for pupils, they are not working together as cohesively as they might to improve the school. Governors recognise these issues and have already begun to take action to address the situation.  While all staff have received effective training in relation to the safeguarding of pupils, the professional development to help them to improve the achievement of pupils is not planned sufficiently well. Leaders have not ensured that the best practice within the school, such as the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who attend The Base, is shared among other staff.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders’ work to ensure that pupils attend school regularly has resulted in a reduction in the overall absence of pupils. However, the proportions of pupils, including some groups of pupils, who are absent and persistently absent remain above national averages. Leaders, including governors, recognise that they have not kept a close enough eye on the attendance of groups of pupils.  The use of additional funding has resulted in some improvements to the outcomes achieved by pupils. For example, as a result of stronger teaching, disadvantaged pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2017 attained in line with other pupils nationally at the expected standard for their age. However, leaders, including governors, acknowledge that they do not have a clear view of the impact of additional funding, including that for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This limits their ability to plan strategically to use this funding to best effect.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Subject, phase and middle leaders have taken action to improve some aspects of teaching. This has contributed to the increase in the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standards for their age. Their support and encouragement is valued by staff. However, some do not have a full understanding of the impact of teaching on the achievement of all pupils, including different groups of pupils and those attending The Base. Leaders’ plans for action are not sufficiently precise or ambitious enough to secure improvements to outcomes for groups of pupils.  Staff receive good-quality feedback from middle and senior leaders to help them to improve aspects of their teaching. Coaching and mentoring have secured some strong improvements in teaching, particularly in key stage 2. This has resulted in improvements over time in the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard for their age by the end of Year 6.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have overseen some effective improvements to aspects of the curriculum, such as the development of the programme for the teaching of phonics and reading. This has led to better outcomes for pupils. However, leaders have not made certain that pupils achieve as well as they should in all areas of the curriculum. In mathematics, pupils are not given enough opportunities to work at greater depth. The wider academic curriculum, including subjects such as science and the humanities, does not develop pupils’ subject-specific skills as well as it should so that all make the strong progress of which they are capable.  Leaders keep a check on the behaviour of pupils through logs of incidents which are monitored routinely. The school’s system for rewarding pupils’ behaviour and achievement has supported pupils to develop good attitudes to learning. Pupils conduct themselves well. They show tolerance towards others, recognising and celebrating that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

our society comprises individuals from a wide range of backgrounds.  The assistant headteacher in charge of The Base has an incisive understanding of the strengths of the provision and knows what needs to be developed further. She is able to demonstrate that pupils are making strong progress as a result of effective teaching.  Leaders have ensured that the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective. Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities provided through PE and sport funding. This has raised their awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Their daily experience in school is enriched through a range of visits and visitors. Staff model, from the earliest stage, respectful attitudes which pupils adopt throughout school. Pupils are prepared well to become conscientious citizens, for example through the ‘Eco-warriors’ project, where pupils collect and recycle litter.

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Governance of the school

 The governing body is beginning to regroup after a spell of turbulence. It has recently been strengthened by the addition of new governors, including a new chair of the governing body, with significant experience and skills. Governors recognise the strengths of the school and the areas that require improvement.  Governors visit the school regularly and show a keen determination to improve the school. Minutes of governing body meetings show that governors challenge the information that leaders present. However, governors have focused on the attainment of pupils, rather than exploring the progress made by different groups of pupils. This has impeded the governing body’s ability to hold leaders to account for the impact of their work.  Governors acknowledge that they have not reviewed the impact of additional funding effectively. They are unable to identify which actions have been most successful in

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Governance of the school

improving outcomes for pupils.  Governors have not ensured that the school’s website complies with statutory guidance for what should be published online.

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Safeguarding

 Leaders have ensured that the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff are well trained and have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. Where pupils are considered to be at significant risk of harm, leaders take appropriate action and make an effective contribution to multi- agency meetings.  Leaders have ensured that appropriate checks are undertaken to confirm the suitability of adults to work with pupils. Systems within the school, such as the arrangements for pupils to enter The Base at the start of the day, are well managed to keep pupils safe. Parents have confidence that their children are safe at school.  Pupils report that they feel safe in school. They have complete confidence that adults will sort out any issues or problems. Staff know pupils well and this contributes to harmonious and trusting relationships between adults and pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching does not consistently secure strong progress from pupils in all subjects because teachers do not make best use of assessment information to set tasks at the right level for pupils’ ability. While some pupils make strong progress over time, others, including the most able and some pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not make progress as quickly as they should.  Leaders have correctly identified that not enough pupils are reaching the highest standards of attainment in mathematics across the school. Although teaching is enabling pupils to develop a good grasp of basic arithmetic, pupils do not have enough opportunity to apply this knowledge through grappling with tricky problems. Some teachers do not expect pupils to explain and articulate their mathematical reasoning. This limits the opportunities for the most able pupils to work at greater depth.  The teaching of writing and mathematics in key stage 1 is variable. This has resulted in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

fluctuating progress for pupils over time. Teachers do not have high enough expectations of the progress pupils should make. Pupils spend too much time revisiting previous learning. Activities set for pupils to undertake independently and in groups do not always build on their skills and knowledge. Pupils’ workbooks show that their progress is not consistently strong.  While pupils experience a wide range of subjects, teaching does not support them to develop their skills as well as they should across the full academic curriculum. In subjects such as science and the humanities, teaching is insufficiently focused on developing the vital subject-specific skills that pupils need in readiness for their secondary school education.  Leaders recognised that pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar skills were not strong enough. They have taken action to improve the quality of teaching, which has led to improved outcomes for pupils by the end of Year 6. However, standards are still

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

variable across the school and leaders have identified that this area remains a focus of their work.  The quality of teaching for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is inconsistent across the school. The workbooks of pupils who attend The Base show that they experience a broad curriculum and that teaching is precisely planned to meet their needs. As a result, their progress is strong. Teaching for those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who do not attend The Base is variable. Pupils’ workbooks show that, in some cases, they make slow progress because teaching is not well matched to their needs.  Teaching in upper key stage 2 is securing better progress from pupils because teachers are determined that pupils will reach the nationally expected standard for their age. During lessons, teachers in these classes work quickly to support pupils who do not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

quickly grasp the topic or concept being studied. This helps those pupils to keep up and is contributing to the increasing proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard for their age by the end of Year 6.  The teaching of phonics is enabling pupils to develop the skills they need to read accurately. Pupils are supported to enjoy reading and to extend the breadth of the texts that they read. By the time they reach Year 6, pupils can read with fluency and demonstrate good comprehension skills.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are enthusiastic learners and throw themselves into their work with alacrity. Most pupils take pride in their work and present it carefully.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying. They confirmed to inspectors that bullying rarely occurs in school. Recent work to promote online safety has ensured that pupils recognise how to keep themselves safe when they use the internet. They show a good awareness of the issues related to cyber bullying and have confidence that adults will quickly tackle any problems that arise in school.  Pupils are tolerant of others and respect the differences that make us unique. For example, during the inspection, one pupil was quick to recognise another pupil’s sensory need, removing a snack out of the way in case it caused a problem for the pupil. This level of concern for others characterises the attitudes of most pupils in the

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils conduct themselves well around school. They follow instructions from adults quickly. Staff, including those who work with pupils in The Base, set high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and pupils respond positively. The school’s system to reward pupils with points for their work and their behaviour is supporting pupils to develop good attitudes to learning. Pupils are excited when their family receives notification that they have been awarded points and are sent a photograph of their work.  Pupils take pride in their school buildings and facilities. They appreciate the brightly coloured plates at lunchtime, because they were involved in choosing them. Their conscientiousness was evident during the inspection when pupils were quick to pick up any litter inadvertently dropped while they were eating lunch.  In 2016, pupils’ absence, including persistent absence, was high. Some groups of

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Behaviour

pupils, for example pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, were too often absent. Leaders have taken action to tackle this and absence has begun to reduce. However, levels of absence and persistent absence for all pupils remain above average.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils’ workbooks and the outcomes achieved over time indicate that, in the early years and key stage 1, pupils’ progress is variable. Some pupils achieve well so that an increasing proportion reach the expected standard for their age by the end of the Reception Year and Year 2. However, inconsistencies in teaching lead to some pupils making slower progress.  The progress of the most able pupils fluctuates across the school. In 2017, an increased proportion of Year 6 pupils achieved the highest standards in reading and writing. However, because teaching does not consistently challenge the most able pupils well, fewer pupils across the school reach the highest standards at the end of early years, at the end of key stage 1 or in mathematics.  The progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is variable. Those pupils who attend The Base make strong progress. In the main school,

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

workbooks show that the progress of some pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is too slow.  The achievement of disadvantaged pupils has improved over time. In 2017, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard for their age by the end of Year 6 was in line with that of other pupils nationally. In the early years, an increasing proportion of disadvantaged children reached the good level of development in 2017. However, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils reaching expected standards at the end of key stage 1 in 2017 was below the national average, and fewer disadvantaged pupils are making more rapid progress to reach the highest standards of attainment.  Most pupils make good progress in phonics across the early years and key stage 1. The vast majority of pupils develop secure reading skills by the time they leave the school.  Over time, since the previous inspection, the proportion of pupils reaching the

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

expected standard by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics has improved notably. This is due to stronger teaching in upper key stage 2. In Year 6 in 2017, a higher than average proportion of pupils demonstrated the skills they needed for the next stage of their education.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Adults in the Reception Year do not consistently expect enough of children. Some teaching does not take sufficient account of what children can already do. At times, children undertake tasks which repeat learning that they have already mastered. This leads to slower progress for some, including the most able and some who have skills which are below those typically seen when they join the Reception Year.  The effective teaching of phonics is enabling more children to develop the key skills they need as a foundation for their reading. However, the teaching of writing and mathematics is less successful, and children’s workbooks show that some children do not make consistently strong progress. Children do not have enough opportunities to practise accurate letter and number formation. Some children spend too long rehearsing counting skills, which they have already secured, rather than applying their understanding of number through simple problems. Adults do not always expect

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Early years provision Requires improvement

enough from children’s writing. They are satisfied with a word or a phrase, rather than encouraging children to develop their ideas through a longer sentence or groups of sentences. This limits the progress made by some children, including the most able. A lower-than-average proportion of children exceed the expected standard for their age by the end of the Reception Year.  Children in the early years who attend The Base benefit from time working individually with an adult to meet their specific needs. This has enabled them to make good progress against their carefully planned targets. Occasionally, when children in The Base are working independently, learning slows because activities lack purpose and challenge.  Adults develop children’s understanding of safety from an early age. For example, when children were busy with an activity to identify two-digit numbers outdoors, the teacher reminded them constantly about being aware of others when they were

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Early years provision Requires improvement

running around or moving to different areas of the learning environment.  Provision in the Reception Year is effective in developing children’s social and emotional skills. Children cooperate well with each other and sustain their concentration on activities independently. Adults encourage them, successfully, to use good manners and to communicate politely.  The early years leader is extremely committed to improving the quality of provision. She has taken action to improve links with parents in the early years. Parents benefit from more opportunities to visit the Reception class and review their children’s work. The early years leader has an accurate view of the strengths of the provision and is aware of some aspects that need to be improved. She has already identified, correctly, that some children should be achieving better outcomes in writing and in their understanding and application of number.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Over time, leaders have improved the attainment of children, including disadvantaged children, so that more are reaching the expected standard for their age. As a result, a higher proportion of children are ready to access the curriculum in Year 1. These gains demonstrate that leaders have the capacity to secure further improvement.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address info@fellgate.s-tyneside.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6–7 March 2013

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Information about this school

 The school does not meet requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the curriculum, the governing body, the impact of pupil premium and PE and sport funding and the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities on its website.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well above the national average.  The school has additionally resourced provision, funded by the local authority, for 40 pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan and who have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder. This provision is referred to as The Base by leaders and staff. All pupils attending The Base are on the

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Information about this school

roll at Fellgate Primary School and access mainstream education.  The school met the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for the achievement of Year 6 pupils in reading, writing and mathematics, in 2016.  A new chair and vice chair of the governing body were appointed in September 2017.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all year groups across the school, including in The Base. Observations of lessons were carried out jointly with the headteacher on the first day of the inspection.  During visits to lessons, inspectors spoke with pupils and looked at their workbooks to find out more about how well they are learning. An inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 6 read aloud.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school. Meetings were held with two groups of pupils.  Inspectors scrutinised a sample of pupils’ workbooks in a range of subjects to review the progress made by pupils across the school.  Discussions were held with senior, phase and subject leaders and governors, including the chair of governors. The lead inspector also met with the school’s improvement partner and two senior officers from the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents presented by leaders. These included pupils’

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Information about this inspection

assessment information, improvement plans, and policies and records relating to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, the curriculum, behaviour and safeguarding.  Inspectors talked with some parents on the second day of the inspection. The inspection team took account of the 35 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.  The 27 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff were reviewed. The lead inspector held a discussion with a group of teaching and support staff.

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Inspection team

Claire Brown, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Ashcroft 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

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

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