Archbishop Runcie CofE First School

Archbishop Runcie CofE First School Christon Road, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE3 1US

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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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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The new headteacher cares deeply for the pupils, staff and local community. Her passion and determination support her drive to improve the school rapidly.  Since the previous inspection, there have been many staffing changes. However, governors and the headteacher have managed these changes effectively to minimise the impact on pupils.  Governors and leaders have a secure understanding of what is working well. They work together successfully to plan and implement actions to ensure that the school continues to improve.  Teachers, particularly those new to teaching, have successfully developed their skills and expertise, benefiting from high-quality support and training. As a result, teaching has strengthened across the school and is now good in key stage 1 and key stage 2.  Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make strong progress.  The school is a vibrant, happy place. Pupils’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

above-average attendance reflects their enjoyment and positive attitudes to school life.  Most parents and carers are positive in their views about the school. There are many complimentary comments regarding the changes introduced by the new headteacher.  Leaders have developed a rich curriculum. It provides interesting and relevant opportunities. As a result, pupils develop good knowledge and understanding in a wide range of subjects.  At times, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough, particularly in writing. Standards of presentation, handwriting and basic spellings are variable.  Teachers do not challenge pupils sufficiently in their writing, particularly the most able. Pupils are not encouraged to write at length or to apply their developing skills independently. Consequently, progress in writing is less strong.  Significant staffing changes in the early years have affected standards. Teaching is variable.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Sometimes, learning opportunities and resources do not match children’s needs. Therefore, some children do not make good progress from their starting points.  There is a strong culture of safeguarding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school by ensuring that: – staff have high expectations and provide enough challenge for all pupils, especially the most able, to increase the proportions attaining the higher standards in writing – the presentation and accuracy of writing, across all subjects, is of the highest quality – inconsistencies in pupils’ spelling accuracy are diminished.  Improve the quality of provision in the early years so that: – all adults have high expectations of what children can achieve – the teaching of phonics is effective – assessment is used to plan children’s next steps in learning so that progress is rapid – adults’ interactions with children probe thinking and deepen the learning – the indoor and outdoor environments support children’s play with resources which challenge their thinking and match their needs.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The new headteacher has settled quickly into her role and has high aspirations for the school. She has taken effective steps to address the key priorities identified at the last inspection. Therefore, teaching and outcomes have rapidly improved in key stage 1 and key stage 2.  The headteacher is appreciative of the support she has received from the diocese, local authority and local schools. This support has helped to develop the skills and expertise of new leaders. These leaders are enthusiastic in their roles and share the headteacher’s ambition to improve the school further.  The headteacher has created a culture where staff are dedicated to improving their practice. Leaders have provided high-quality, targeted professional development and training for all staff; this includes support for newly qualified teachers and those who are new to the school. Alongside partnership working with other schools, this has

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

improved the quality of teaching and learning.  After a turbulent period, the headteacher has successfully gained the trust and confidence of parents. Nearly all parents who responded to the parent survey said that they feel that the school is well led and managed and would recommend the school to other parents. As one parent stated, ‘The school has changed beyond recognition, thanks to the strong leadership of the new head supported by a dedicated leadership team and a governing body committed to doing all they can to move the school forward.’  Leaders have strengthened assessment procedures. They carefully monitor pupils’ progress and attainment. Training has been provided to ensure that teachers’ assessment is increasingly accurate. These judgements have been externally verified. This means that teachers and leaders have an accurate picture of how well pupils are progressing. Standardised timetables enable regular interventions and effective catch-

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

up sessions for any pupils identified as falling behind.  The carefully planned curriculum provides pupils with skills, knowledge and understanding appropriate to their needs and interests. For example, pupils completed a history project on celebrating the school’s 30th anniversary. This inspired the pupils to produce work of a high standard in reading, writing, history, art, design and technology.  The importance of spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects permeates the curriculum. Pupils have a good understanding of British values and respect people from different backgrounds and faiths.  The physical education and sport premium funding is carefully spent. Sports coaches support staff development and also run a range of clubs during and after school. Participation rates are high and pupils are enthusiastic about the different activities on offer.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support the small number of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

disadvantaged pupils across the school. The pupil premium strategy is detailed and focuses on individual pupils’ needs. As a result, the disadvantaged pupils in school are making strong progress.  The funding for pupils with SEND is used effectively to ensure that they receive good support for their welfare needs and academic learning. Leaders check closely that individuals’ needs are well met, and these pupils make good progress across the whole curriculum.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have a strong commitment to the school. They have demonstrated their resilience during a difficult period. They share the headteacher’s vision and remain determined to drive the school forward and achieve the very best for every pupil.  Governance has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Following the support of the local authority, governors acted on the recommendations of the governance review. Governors now have knowledge and skills to support leaders and to hold them to account effectively.  Governors take their roles and responsibilities seriously and are regular visitors to the school. They have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and learning and how this supports pupils’ attainment and progress. They can clearly articulate the strengths and weaknesses of the school.  Governors are well informed about how the school uses additional funding for pupils

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Governance of the school

with SEND or those pupils who are disadvantaged. They are aware, since the last inspection, that outcomes and attendance for both pupil groups have improved.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and there is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school.  Leaders guarantee that appropriate checks are made to ensure that all staff are fit to work with children. Accurate and up-to-date records of these checks are maintained.  Staff receive regular training relating to safeguarding. They demonstrate a clear understanding of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about pupils.  Pupils say that they feel safe and talk about how they trust the adults in school who look after them. Almost all parents who responded to Parent View agreed that the school looks after their children well and this results in their child feeling safe in school.  The school site is well looked after and the grounds are kept safe. Pupils follow well- established routines so that they move around the school in a safe and orderly way.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Since the previous inspection, leaders have ensured that teaching has strengthened across the school due to precisely targeted continuing professional development. Teachers are motivated and committed to improvement. They have good knowledge across a wide range of subjects. They use this knowledge well to ensure that topics and activities interest pupils and inspire their learning. As a result, pupils develop good knowledge and understanding in a wide range of subjects  Teachers and leaders work very closely together as a team. They discuss pupils’ learning and share ideas to support inexperienced teachers with their planning. Most teachers now plan work that builds effectively on pupils’ prior learning. They ask effective questions to find out what pupils already know and can remember before introducing new concepts. As a result, there is greater consistency in the skills and knowledge taught across school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 In the most successful lessons, teachers maintain a good overview of what pupils are learning. This allows them to intervene and adjust their teaching in a timely manner to support good pupil progress. However, at times, tasks do not routinely challenge the most able pupils, particularly in writing.  In writing, pupils make strong progress in the development of their descriptive vocabulary. They write in sentences of increasing complexity and learn to use a range of punctuation accurately. However, in some classes, pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise and develop their skills by writing independently at length. Sometimes, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ writing, and their use of basic spelling and punctuation, are not high enough, particularly for the most able pupils. Likewise, teachers do not insist that pupils show pride in the presentation of their written work and there are some inconsistencies across the school in the quality of handwriting.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 In mathematics, teaching is good. Teachers use a range of high-quality resources to support pupils’ learning. They provide regular opportunities for pupils to use their problem-solving and reasoning skills. Work in pupils’ books shows evidence of success, with most pupils making strong progress. Pupils also enjoy the many opportunities offered to them to use their mathematical skills and knowledge in other subjects, such as geography and science.  Across school, pupils enjoy reading and achieve well. Good results in the phonics screening check in Year 1 reflect the high-quality phonics teaching that pupils receive. Younger pupils apply their phonics accurately to decode words. They use their phonics skills well to interpret words of which they are unsure. The books pupils read are closely matched to the sounds they know. Pupils make good progress because they are challenged to achieve their very best. Key stage 1 teachers reinforce phonics across

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

other subjects to move pupils’ reading, spelling and vocabulary forward.  Older pupils read with confidence. They have good comprehension skills and can talk about their preferred authors. Teachers ensure that pupils study a broad range of literature, which builds effectively from one year to the next. Pupils benefit from having access to an inviting and well-stocked library from which they regularly borrow books. As a result, pupils read well across a range of subjects.  Teachers provide a wide range of topics that inspire pupils to become engaged in their learning. They ensure that pupils receive an appropriate coverage of all subjects within their topic-based approach. Teachers encourage pupils to discuss their ideas in lessons and carry out further research using a wide range of resources. Consequently, pupils are articulate, confident and enjoy sharing their new knowledge and skills.  Disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, benefit from carefully tailored support.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

Teachers monitor their progress closely and act quickly to provide support when a pupil falls behind. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their individual starting points.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The majority of pupils work hard in class and speak positively about their learning. Most take pride in the presentation of their work.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is well developed. There is an active school council that enables pupils to support school improvements and have a voice in daily school life. Visits to places of worship help pupils to explore religions and cultures other than their own.  Pupils are knowledgeable about the different forms of bullying. They told the inspector that there are many adults in school whom they can talk to if they are concerned or worried. Pupils say that they feel safe in school.  In lessons and assemblies, pupils learn how to stay safe. Pupils who were questioned by inspectors showed a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online. For example, they explained the risks associated with internet gaming and social

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Personal development and welfare

networking.  Strong and caring relationships ensure that pupils are confident in sharing their concerns with any adult.  Almost all parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and who spoke with the inspectors were confident that their children are happy and kept safe. One typical comment was, ‘I cannot praise the staff highly enough and would definitely recommend this safe and nurturing school.’  Pupils know how to stay fit and healthy. The new breakfast club promotes healthy eating. Pupils also participate enthusiastically in the golden mile and the new after- school clubs. Pupils are proud of their success in the recent swimming gala.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are proud of their school and wear their uniform with pride. They are welcoming to visitors, holding doors open and demonstrating good manners.  Most teachers set high expectations for pupils’ conduct in lessons and around school. Pupils generally behave well. They understand the importance of having positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils are self-confident. They were very keen to tell the inspectors about their learning.  The school is a calm and orderly environment. Pupils show respect for each other’s ideas in class and cooperate well when they work together. On the playground, and at social times, pupils play sensibly together.  The relationships pupils have with adults and with each other are warm and trusting. Consequently, pupils enjoy their time in school and value their education. As a result, attendance is above average and improving.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils’ attainment in the Year 1 phonics screening check is well above the national average. Pupils apply their phonics skills well. They swiftly learn to read with fluency and understanding.  Key stage 1 results significantly strengthened last year, particularly at the greater depth standard. Moderated assessment information for this year indicates that outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are well above the national average. A large proportion of pupils are meeting and exceeding the standard expected for their age.  In key stage 1 and key stage 2, the work in pupils’ books and assessment information show that standards are high in reading, writing and mathematics. The progress of current pupils is particularly strong in reading and mathematics. However, more work is required to ensure that the most able pupils make stronger progress in their writing.  Teachers successfully support pupils with SEND. Teachers use assessments well to

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Outcomes for pupils Good

identify the next steps in learning. As a result, these pupils make strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics from their individual starting points.  Provision for disadvantaged pupils is highly effective. Leaders know these pupils very well. They monitor their progress closely to ensure that they do not fall behind. Teachers provide daily catch-up sessions for pupils who need additional support. Disadvantaged pupils make good progress over time in reading, writing and mathematics because of the quality of support they receive.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 There has been a period of considerable change and instability in the early years. The headteacher is currently leading this phase and has an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for development. She has started to implement plans for improvement, but it is too early to see the impact of these actions.  Leaders are providing additional stability and support for teachers who are new to their positions. Staff in early years are working hard to develop their skills and create an effective environment that supports learning. However, staff do not currently ensure that the resources match children’s needs or interests. They do not successfully structure or support pupils’ independent learning and play. At times, children tend to drift between activities and lose concentration because tasks do not hold their interest.  The quality of teaching across the early years is not yet good enough. Some staff do

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Early years provision Requires improvement

not intervene in a timely manner to provide support or challenge to move the learning forward. Occasionally, staff do not use questions effectively to extend children’s learning or probe their thinking. As a result, children are not sufficiently challenged.  Staff assess children regularly. However, the accuracy of judgements is not secure. This means that staff do not plan well enough to meet children’s learning needs, which in turn limits children’s progress and interests.  The teaching of phonics is variable. Some staff do not yet have the subject knowledge to support the children’s development effectively. Consequently, some children make slow progress because misconceptions are not picked up and children are not moved on as quickly as they could be.  Staff are working hard to improve the quality of children’s writing. Children mark-make regularly. Staff celebrate children’s achievements through classroom displays. The most

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Early years provision Requires improvement

able children apply their phonics skills to support their writing and write in simple sentences. However, because, at times, the activities lack challenge, the progress some children make is limited.  Staff develop children’s speaking and listening skills effectively. They engage children in conversations and model the correct use of language. Staff also encourage children to use good manners and insist that children say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when appropriate.  The children are happy in their learning environment. When they are interested and challenged, children show good levels of concentration and participate enthusiastically in their learning.  The early years staff are welcoming. They encourage regular communication with parents. Leaders have increased parental involvement. Many parents are beginning to share information about what their child learns at home on the new online assessment system.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Parents who spoke with inspectors said that their children love coming to the school. They said that their children are happy, safe and well cared for. All parents felt that the children’s behaviour was good.  Children are well looked after. Safeguarding is effective and all the appropriate welfare requirements are in place for early years.

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School details

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

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.archbishop-runcie.eschools.co.uk

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School details

Email address admin@archbishop.newcastle.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4–5 July 2017

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium funding is below average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND who receive additional support is lower than the national average. The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is also lower than the national average.  The majority of pupils are of White British background. More recently, there has been an increase in the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  A breakfast club is run by the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching across a range of subjects in all classes. Many of these observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.  During visits to classes, the inspectors spoke with pupils and looked at their work to find out more about how well they are learning. They also held meetings with pupils and talked informally with pupils around the school. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  An inspector listened to pupils read and talked with them about reading habits.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, sports leader, the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), a representative from the diocese, a headteacher from the Gosforth Schools’ Trust and a representative from the local authority.  An inspector met with members of the local governing body, including the chair.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including leaders’ evaluation of school

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Information about this inspection

performance, school development planning, curriculum planning and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and the quality of teaching and learning. The inspectors also reviewed information relating to attendance and safeguarding.  The inspectors scrutinised samples of pupils’ work in their books across a wide range of curriculum areas.  Inspectors took account of nine staff members’ opinions via the responses made to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. Additionally, formal and informal discussions were held with staff members.  There were 64 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View. The inspectors took account of these, along with the 57 free-text responses. Inspectors also spoke to parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Alison Stephenson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gill Wild 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

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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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