King Edward Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Miss Kate Byrne Headteacher King Edward Primary School Preston Avenue North Shields Tyne and Wear NE30 2BD

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Short inspection of King Edward Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 19 April 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in November 2013.

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Short inspection of King Edward Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have embedded a happy, positive ethos in which pupils and adults thrive. A delightful sense of enjoyment permeates the atmosphere. Relationships are productive, based on trust and mutual respect. Pupils are polite, considerate and full of smiles. They feel safe and well cared for by staff, who value their opinions and ideas. Good rates of attendance are a testament to pupils’ enthusiasm for school. Parents and carers are particularly appreciative of the ‘immaculately clean’ site, the approachability of ‘incredibly pleasant staff’, the ‘fantastic’ extended provision of activities outside of school hours and the cheerful environment wherein pupils ‘chatter excitedly about topics they are learning’.

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Short inspection of King Edward Primary School

You hold high aspirations for pupils and have been effective in communicating your expectations to staff and governors. A keen, united sense of responsibility therefore drives adults in their work to support and challenge pupils appropriately. Consequently, pupils’ outcomes are good year on year. This is particularly evident in key stage 1 and 2 where pupils’ overall attainment at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics has been sustained at above national averages. This represents good progress from pupils’ starting points, which are broadly typical. The progress of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is also improving towards that of other pupils who have similar starting points, across the curriculum. You have clear and fitting plans in place to ensure that pupils continue to make good progress.

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Short inspection of King Edward Primary School

You have successfully addressed the previous inspection report’s challenges, which induced you to sustain pupils’ good achievements. Mathematics was highlighted specifically as a key focus for improvement. You and your leadership team rose to the challenge. Teachers’ subject knowledge in mathematics is secure due to effective leadership and good-quality training opportunities. Pupils said that they enjoy mathematics; they find their work interesting and, at times, demanding. Notably, pupils’ mathematical progress in key stage 2 in 2016 was above the national average. In addition, in 2017 a higher proportion of disadvantaged key stage 2 pupils reached a greater depth of learning in mathematics compared to national comparatives.

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Short inspection of King Edward Primary School

Despite several evident successes since the previous inspection, you have no time for complacency. Consequently, you have looked carefully at the quality of teaching, learning and leadership across the school and have correctly identified some key priorities for improvement. The early years and some aspects of leadership are deserving of your sharpened focus.

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Short inspection of King Edward Primary School

Currently, not all leaders, including governors, have a secure grasp of curriculum requirements or the quality of teaching and learning in the early years. Some have limited knowledge and understanding of precisely what children in the early years should be expected to do and achieve. Not all children, at present, are offered sufficient challenge across areas of provision, particularly in terms of reading and writing; some children do not read regularly enough with adults. Although children’s outcomes are broadly in keeping with national averages over time, some children do not make the progress they should from their strong starting points. Such factors currently inhibit your collective desire to enhance teaching and learning and raise outcomes further for children in this key stage. You recognise, quite rightly, that further information, training and support, alongside a sharpened focus on reading

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Short inspection of King Edward Primary School

and writing in the early years, will enhance the effectiveness of leaders, governors and staff.

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Short inspection of King Edward Primary School

You do, however, work well with your recently restructured leadership team. Pupils’ welfare and their achievements are consistently held central to your team’s thinking and actions. You meet regularly to discuss pupils’ outcomes and staff performance, combining your efforts to maximise learning experiences for pupils. You keep a close eye on teachers’ workload, consulting with staff to ensure that all adults have a feeling of ownership and involvement in policy design and school processes. You are a reflective group, keen to learn from others and responsive to constructive, critical comments received internally or externally. Together, you share and absorb good practices. You are fully committed to building on those good practices that exist across subjects and in key stages 1 and 2 in particular.

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Short inspection of King Edward Primary School

The safety of pupils is of utmost importance to you and your team. Pupils’ well- being, success and enjoyment are central to your actions; the protection and welfare of pupils fuel your decision-making processes. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. You make sure that all staff have regular, high-quality training, which keeps them up to date with the most recent safeguarding guidance and developments. This ensures that staff are suitably vigilant in their duty to protect and care for pupils. They know how and to whom they should report any concerns that they may have, working jointly with additional agencies, including health, social work and police partners, as required. Records are well detailed, and action to support vulnerable pupils and families is taken promptly when necessary.

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Short inspection of King Edward Primary School

Pupils said that they feel safe. They are certain that adults in school actively listen to any worries or concerns they may have and are confident that appropriate action is taken to support them where issues arise. Although pupils are adamant that bullying has no place in their school, they know and understand what constitutes bullying. Regular assemblies and work take place to ensure that pupils fully understand the effects of their behaviour on others. Pupils agree that rights come with responsibilities; their behaviour in and around school shows that they are tolerant and respectful of others. Older pupils competently discuss the benefits and drawbacks of social media. Parents agree that their children are safe and in capable hands. After their experiencing first hand how well the children are looked after, one parent’s view that ‘safety is paramount’ exemplifies the views of others.

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Inspection findings

 Parents, staff and pupils are proud of their school. There is a real sense of community and shared appreciation of what is on offer. Parents are grateful for the recently established extended provision, ‘KEEP’, which offers 30-hour provision for eligible children, and the out-of-school club (OOSC), which parents feel enrich the curriculum. Such provision is testament to your consideration of the needs of families and children and an endorsement of your commitment to the community you serve.  Teaching, learning and assessment across subjects are good, particularly in key stages 1 and 2. You make sure that staff receive regular, high-quality training and have the required resources needed to meet the demands of the primary curriculum. Because systems of monitoring and performance management are transparent and based on the needs of pupils as well as individual staff, adults are clear about what they need to do to secure improvement. The positive

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Inspection findings

culture encourages staff to strive to improve their skills across subjects. Several members of staff have developed specialisms in their areas of responsibility or interest, sharing their effective practices within school and across other schools.  Teachers’ skills of questioning and their subject knowledge, especially in mathematics, are strengths of the school. A perceptible ‘buzz’ of learning about mathematics exists; indeed, during this inspection many pupils named mathematics as their favourite subject. Pupils in key stages 1 and 2, especially, tackle their work across the curriculum with diligence. Their behaviour, resilience and attitudes to learning are commendable. This said, some staff have a weaker understanding of the early years requirements and of how meeting these prepares children for the next stage in their learning. Some adults’ knowledge and expectations of what young children can do and achieve are too vague,

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Inspection findings

particularly in terms of children’s reading and writing.  Children in the early years are well cared for, bubbly and full of smiles. Adults and children have strong, positive relationships. You have improved the outdoor environment for children, thereby extending learning opportunities that are firmly focused on children’s interests. The environment is literacy and numeracy rich. Children are encouraged to take safe, calculated risks in their play and exploration. They develop self-confidence, as well as their physical and self- awareness skills, effectively through carefully crafted, exciting activities indoors and outside. Early years staff, including those in the ‘KEEP’, are unfailingly caring and kind. Children behave well and respond promptly to adults’ requests.  Staff in the early years listen carefully to the views of parents, ensuring that parents are fully involved in their children’s learning. The proportion of children

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Inspection findings

reaching a good level of development is in line with the national average over time. Nonetheless, some children do not experience sufficient challenge in their learning across areas of provision. Some adults do not demand or expect enough of children, and at times the intended learning is unclear. Some children flit from task to task, especially during child-initiated activities. As a result, not all children from their different starting points make rapid progress, particularly in reading and writing.  Your staff, parents and governors have complete faith in your leadership and management of the school and your ability to meet the needs of the pupils in your care. Despite some significant changes in staffing since the previous inspection, you have maintained a good quality of teaching and learning. Together with your leadership team, you analyse pupils’ outcomes incisively, putting additional support in place promptly for pupils who may be falling behind.

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Inspection findings

Some leaders and governors, however, have yet to develop a depth of knowledge and understanding of the early years and its curriculum. Currently, therefore, not all contribute effectively to children’s learning and development.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 all leaders and staff, including governors, have a deep understanding of the early years and are fully cognisant of their particular role in its development  children in the early years are suitably challenged in their reading and writing.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for North Tyneside. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During this inspection, I met with you and other senior leaders. I jointly observed teaching, learning and assessment in classes across key stages with you and your assistant headteachers. I scrutinised work in some pupils’ books, listened to some pupils read, spoke with some pupils from each key stage and considered the responses by 30 pupils to Ofsted’s online questionnaire. I reviewed school documentation and information, including policies, safeguarding and assessment information, monitoring files and your school improvement plans. I met with governors, including the chair of the governing body, and held telephone conversations with two representatives from the local authority. I took account of the 126 free-text comments by parents and the 166 responses to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View. I spoke with staff during the inspection and considered the views of the 31 members of staff who completed Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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