Bede Community Primary School

Bede Community Primary School Old Fold Road, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE10 0DJ

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, other leaders, governors and staff have created an environment where pupils are deeply cared for, nurtured and encouraged to be their very best. As a result, pupils’ personal development and welfare are outstanding.  Staff at the school know the pupils well. As a result, disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well cared for, and access appropriate support and guidance. Consequently, these pupils are achieving well.  The safety of children is given high priority. Policy and practice go hand in hand. Pupils feel safe. Parents are very confident that their children are safe at the school.  Governors are committed and dedicated to the school and the community it serves. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and those areas that need attention.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. Strong relationships

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

between staff and pupils, and between pupils, form a solid foundation for pupils to acquire good knowledge, skills and understanding over time.  The early years foundation stage is good. Children benefit from good teaching and access to a stimulating and vibrant environment.  Pupils are respectful, courteous and behave in a calm and responsible manner.  Pupils are tolerant of difference. They are confident and self-assured. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Over time, pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 have been well above the national averages. By the end of key stage 2, pupils make excellent progress. Strong teaching and work in pupils’ books in Years 5 and 6 provide clear evidence that this is set to continue.  While leaders’ improvement planning is accurate, some areas are not evaluated with sufficient precision.  In the main, learning is well planned. However,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

there are times when teachers do not plan activities or use questioning to challenge pupils or encourage them to think hard about an idea or topic and extend their learning.  The curriculum provides pupils with access to a broad and varied range of topics. However, there are instances when pupils’ knowledge and understanding of certain topics do not go beyond the superficial level.  Pupils’ absence, while showing signs of improvement, indicates that some pupils do not attend school well enough.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that: – the evaluated impact of leaders’ actions in improvement plans is precise, so that leaders and governors have a more insightful understanding of what is working and what is not, and where changes have been made – appropriate opportunities in the curriculum are planned so that pupils access relevant and increasingly complex subject content to deepen their knowledge and understanding of key topics and ideas.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to raise standards and improve the quality of teaching by ensuring that: – pupil assessment information is used consistently to plan learning activities that develop, extend and consolidate pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills – the teachers’ and the support staff’s questioning skills are consistently used to encourage pupils to think hard about topics and ideas – key subject terminology is used to extend pupils’ learning and understanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ attendance and reduce persistent absenteeism, particularly by continuing the work with families so that they play their part in ensuring that their children attend as regularly as they should.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher, ably supported by other leaders, ensures that the strong nurturing and caring values of the school form the basis of everybody’s work. There are strong relationships between staff, and between staff and pupils. Staff at the school provide highly effective care, guidance and support for pupils and their families.  The headteacher, leaders, staff and governors know the children very well. They all understand the context of the school and the varying backgrounds that some pupils have experienced, and are experiencing. Together, they are compassionate and deeply care about the pupils’ welfare.  Key stage leaders know their areas of responsibility very well. They are committed to raising standards. They understand their roles and responsibilities and, as a result, are planning for improvement. For example, reading has been recognised as a priority and they have initiated a raft of opportunities for staff to engage in training to enhance their skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

Consequently, reading outcomes are showing steady signs of improvement, particularly throughout key stage 1.  Leaders are involved in the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning. Such activities are focused, supportive and developmental. Equally, the monitoring and evaluation provide them with information regarding the strengths in their teams and those staff who need further support and guidance.  Staff are unequivocal in their view that leaders’ actions support and develop their practice. They have been given multiple opportunities to access and share good practice. Consequently, staff morale at the school is very high.  Leadership of pupil premium funding is a strength. Leaders and staff have a well- placed understanding of the barriers pupils face. As a result, staff work collaboratively to ensure that pupils’ needs, in the main, are met. Pupil premium funding is spent wisely to help the differences between disadvantaged pupils in the school and others

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

diminish.  The special educational needs coordinator has very clear systems and processes in place so that pupils are accurately and quickly identified, and additional funding is used wisely. As a result, support is deployed in a timely manner and is effective in enabling pupils with SEND to achieve and progress well over time. There are strong links with external agencies, which are used well when necessary.  Leaders use the sports premium well to engage pupils in physical education and sports, and raise participation levels and skills. Such opportunities benefit pupils as they develop and enhance their social, physical and coordination skills. Pupils enjoy participating in the various sport and physical activities on offer, both within the curriculum and beyond the school day.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted extremely well. Leaders have ensured that pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain by

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

promoting pupils’ understanding of tolerance, respect and equalities. Pupils’ ability to articulate their understanding of different people’s beliefs and views is strong.  The curriculum provides pupils with a broad and richly diverse range of subjects, notwithstanding the importance placed on developing pupils’ reading skills. Pupils access a range of topics and the curriculum promotes the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. Nonetheless, while there is breadth to the curriculum, leaders acknowledge that they need to develop the depth at which pupils study different topics, so that they are encouraged to think deep and hard.  The school self-evaluation document is thorough, and priorities identified are accurate. As a result, leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaker areas. The school improvement plan complements the self-evaluation document. It is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

clear and concise, and contains actions, milestones and success criteria so that leaders can monitor and measure the impact of their work. However, leaders are not precise enough when evaluating the impact of their actions and strategies. Currently, they are not as clear about what is working, what is not working and what has been amended as a result.

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Governance of the school

 Governors demonstrate a solid understanding of the school’s strengths, and those areas that need further attention to raise standards. The chair of governors is particularly astute and well versed in the world of education. She leads with vigour and determination. Alongside this, she has the support of a very able and equally determined group of governors.  Governors hold leaders regularly and fastidiously to account for their work. They are supportive of leaders and staff, and use a wide range of information well to question leaders about the effects of their actions.  Governors have ensured that funding is used well, for example to ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are provided with appropriate emotional, social and academic support and guidance.  They have ensured that all safeguarding procedures and systems, including those set out in policy, are fit for purpose and meet statutory requirements.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are proud of the school and they work tirelessly with the headteacher and staff to ensure that all pupils achieve the best possible educational experience.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Safeguarding at Bede Community Primary School is everyone’s utmost priority. Policy and practice go hand in hand. All staff have accessed appropriate safeguarding training. They show a solid understanding, and a good level of knowledge about safeguarding procedures. They have a secure understanding of the signs to watch out for to identify, quickly, if a child is at risk of harm.  The school’s single central record is well kept, and appropriate checks are undertaken on all staff prior to their employment at the school.  Safeguarding records and important information are meticulously kept and maintained. This further demonstrates leaders’ and the staff’s commitment to ensuring all relevant information is recorded, examined and dealt with in a timely and effective manner.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is good. There are some examples of excellent teaching. Consequently, current pupils achieve well and are making good progress.  Staff morale is very high, and staff work collaboratively so that pupils benefit from well- planned learning activities. Staff are motivated to improve their practice and they are appreciative of the opportunities afforded to them to improve and develop their skills.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is used well, particularly to encourage pupils to be resilient, learn from their mistakes and take risks. For example, in a Year 6 English lesson pupils were encouraged to be ambitious when using vocabulary in their writing. They rose to the challenge and explored a wide range of highly ambitious words and phrases that they could use to make their writing more creative and interesting.  Relationships in classrooms are strong. Pupils work well together, sharing and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

discussing ideas maturely and confidently. For example, in a Year 4 history lesson pupils moved about the room at different, well-timed, points to gather and share the information about Cragside.  Support staff are deployed well, in the main, across the school and in classrooms. They make a valuable contribution to supporting and facilitating pupils’ learning and progress. Most are particularly skilled in working with identified pupils so that they do not fall behind in their learning.  Questioning is used well to check pupils’ learning and obtain a snapshot of their understanding. In some instances, questioning is used effectively to probe and encourage pupils to think hard about a concept or idea. However, overall, the quality of questioning is not consistent.  Most teachers’ planning meets the needs of pupils and takes into account their prior learning. For example, in a Year 1 mathematics lesson pupils tackled how to solve the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

equal part of a calculation with success. This was because the teacher actively involved pupils in their learning and sequenced activities, so they could build their knowledge and demonstrate their understanding. However, there are times when teachers do not use the information they readily have about pupils to plan and sequence learning. As a result, there are occasions when teachers do not get the most out of pupils or challenge them to think hard.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Bede Community Primary School is a nurturing, caring environment where the ethos of ‘everybody learns – everybody cares’ permeates the school.  Pupils’ confident, self-assured and inquisitive natures equip them well for learning. In the main, pupils demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning; these excellent attitudes have a positive impact on their progress, especially throughout key stage 2.  Pupils forge strong relationships with one another. They care about each other and take pride in looking after one another.  In classrooms, and during social times, pupils work successfully and collaboratively together. They engage in a wide range of activities at the school, for example playing football, singing in the choir and attending reading clubs.  Pupils have a clear, age-appropriate, awareness of how to keep themselves safe. They

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Personal development and welfare

are aware that bullying is wrong and, although it is rare, pupils understand that if it does happen in school they need to report it immediately. Pupils are confident that they know who to talk to if they have any concerns. They are also assured that staff will deal with any incidents quickly and effectively. Pupils put, and have, great trust in the staff.  The few pupils that attend the school’s resource base are well motivated. They are given timely support to develop their social and emotional needs. Consequently, they are achieving well over time.  Vibrant displays around the school promote positive messages about being different. This is pupils’ starting point for learning about and understanding differences between themselves and other people. Pupils are tolerant and respectful of difference. They understand and can articulate confidently that people are different, but should be treated equally. Pupils demonstrate mature attitudes.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils are very proud of their school. They get particularly excited when talking about the school dog, Buddy!

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils focus in lessons and on their learning. The school is a calm, orderly and friendly place. Pupils are courteous and respectful to each other, staff and visitors. They are polite and well mannered.  Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions. As a result, they show excellent levels of confidence and responsibility. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are positive role models for the younger pupils in the school.  During break and lunch times, behaviour is harmonious. Pupils play well together in a range of activities, for example during games, football, listening to music and dancing. Pupils benefit from, and enjoy, each other’s company. They also benefit from using the rich and exciting playground equipment safely together.  Parents spoken to, and those who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, unequivocally support the school and feel that it provides a happy and safe place for

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Behaviour

their children.  Leaders record all behaviour incidents meticulously. While the number of incidents appears high, the vast majority are recorded incidents of pupils falling out or silly behaviour. Despite this, behaviour across the school is good, and in some instances exemplary.  Attendance is an issue. Current pupils’ attendance information would indicate that it is close to the national average. This is down to the concerted effort of the school’s family support officer and attendance team, who work doggedly so that pupils attend school as regularly as possible. Despite this work, some pupils are not attending as regularly as they should, particularly disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have English as an additional language. Therefore, persistent absenteeism for these groups of pupils is too high. While leaders acknowledge that some pupils’ absence is an issue, and have initiated a raft of strategies to encourage consistently good attendance for all pupils,

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Behaviour

some parents do not play their part in ensuring that their children attend as regularly as they should.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Over time, and by the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make progress that is consistently well above average. However, attainment has slightly declined in recent years. Observations of teaching and work in current pupils’ books would indicate that current pupils in Years 5 and 6 are on a trajectory to continue making progress that is well above average.  Current pupil assessment information, observations of teaching and work in pupils’ books would indicate that pupils in Year 4 are making better progress than those in Year 3. Teaching in Year 4 is highly effective. Despite gaps in their knowledge resulting from limited progress between the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 3, current Year 4 pupils are acquiring a wide range of knowledge, skills and understanding. For example, Year 4 pupils were encouraged to think widely about a historical place, and collect and

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Outcomes for pupils Good

share a range of ideas with each other in a history lesson. Inspection evidence supports leaders’ view that current pupils in lower key stage 2 are achieving well, over time.  Historically, by the end of key stage 1 the attainment of pupils has been below the national averages. The work in pupils’ books, supported by observations of teaching, shows that current pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Teaching throughout key stage 1 is highly effective. Learning is well planned, and teachers consider pupils’ strengths and what they need to do so that pupils acquire a range of skills, knowledge and understanding. Support staff are effectively deployed to support pupils so that they do not fall behind.  The proportion of pupils achieving in the phonics screening check has steadily increased over the last three years. As a result, it is nearing the national average. Recent improvements and sharing of good practice in phonics teaching are helping

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Outcomes for pupils Good

current pupils to read with increasing accuracy and fluency. Pupils enjoy reading and the school is abundant in a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books for them to access and enjoy.  Disadvantaged pupils are currently achieving well, and in some individual instances are making very strong progress. This is because there is strong individualised support for identified pupils, funding is used wisely and staff have a clear understanding of barriers for individual pupils. Despite this, leaders acknowledge that there is some variation within classes. However, the plans in place demonstrate how further support and intervention are planned so that these pupils have every opportunity to catch up with their peers.  Pupils with SEND make good progress, and in some instances excellent progress, from their varying, largely below-average, starting points. Teachers plan carefully and use support effectively so that pupils’ targets and needs are taken into account.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Leaders acknowledge that recent improvements, particularly throughout the early years and key stage 1, need to be sustained and they are committed and unrelenting in their drive to secure and sustain these.

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Early years provision Good

 Children enter the early years provision with skills below those typical for their age, with a minority of children entering with skills well below their chronological age. Despite this, strong teaching and a highly purposeful environment enable children to make good progress by the time they leave Reception.  The early years leadership team is knowledgeable and skilled. The team uses children’s assessment information effectively to ensure that any children who may be falling behind in their development or learning goals are quickly identified, and bespoke support is planned in order to help them. Together, the members of the leadership team form a cohesive team that has children’s learning and interests at the forefront of all it does.  Teaching is strong and of good quality, particularly in the Nursery. Children benefit from engaging in a range of well-planned, imaginative and interesting activities. For

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Early years provision Good

example, children enjoy starting their day joyfully singing to one another, welcoming and greeting each other. This sets the tone for learning. As a result, children’s behaviour is good. They work well together and they are, in the main, well motivated.  Staff have excellent relationships with children. They promote children’s communication and language skills and their independence highly effectively. Extremely positive relations in early years enable children to be confident and show high levels of self- esteem. As a result, children’s personal development and welfare are outstanding.  The outdoor area is vibrant, stimulating and enticing. Children can engage in a wide variety of activities that focus on developing their personal and social skills, and enhancing their physical development and their understanding of the environment and world around them.  Early reading skills are taught well. The progress children make is checked carefully

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Early years provision Good

and this allows staff to intervene quickly to support children’s reading and phonic development. Children enjoy role play and creative work to support their learning.  While a lower than average proportion of children reach a good level of development by the end of the early years foundation stage, teaching is good and very effective. As a result, children make good progress. Most children are ready to meet the demands of Year 1. However, those who are not yet ready have appropriate support at the beginning of key stage 1, so that their skills can develop alongside those of their peers.

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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

Website www.bedecommunityprimaryschool.org/

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School details

Email address nicholasanderson@gateshead.gov.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18–19 September 2012

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Information about this school

 Bede Community Primary School is smaller than an average-sized school. The school serves a very diverse community.  The proportion of pupils who attend the school and are eligible for free school meals is well above average.  The proportion of pupils who have been identified as having SEND is well above average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.  The school provides a local authority resource base for pupils in key stage 1 who have social, emotional and behavioural issues. Three pupils from Bede attend this provision currently.  The school effectively manages a higher than average proportion of pupils who join and/or leave the school within the school year.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a wide range of teaching and learning across all classes in the school, some of which were joint observations with the headteacher. They scrutinised a range of pupils’ work in subjects across the curriculum, both in classrooms and as a discrete inspection activity.  Inspectors listened to various pupils read, both individually and as part of group activities. They spoke with pupils formally in groups and informally around the school.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, at break and lunchtimes, and when pupils were moving about the school site.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, other leaders, governors, a group of staff members and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors examined a range of documentation, such as documents relating to safeguarding and child protection, behaviour and attendance, and governors’ minutes from meetings, the school self-evaluation document and the school improvement plan.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors also considered current pupils’ assessment information, alongside the school’s pupil premium strategy plan and documents relating to those pupils with SEND.  Inspectors spoke with parents and considered the 19 views of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Darren Stewart, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Aitchison Her Majesty’s 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

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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