Dunn Street Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Dunn Street Primary School Minster Parade, Jarrow NE32 3QH

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Outcome

Dunn Street Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. Warm, nurturing relationships with staff help pupils to feel safe. They know that if they have any worries or concerns, their teachers will listen to them and offer help. Pupils told the inspector that everyone gets on well and that bullying is not a concern. They were confident that, if bullying did happen, teachers would act quickly to resolve problems and help pupils to be friends again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff care deeply about pupils. They are ambitious for everyone to do well. Staff encourage pupils to have high expectations of themselves. A strong culture of learning, praise and encouragement runs throughout the whole school. Pupils take delight in their learning. They are respectful and polite. They listen attentively in class and concentrate well in lessons. Pupils celebrate each other’s efforts with real warmth. Classrooms are settled, calm and welcoming. If any pupil does become distracted, adults gently get them back on track.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Educational trips enrich the curriculum. Reception children were entranced when they went back in time and examined 14,000-year-old clay under the microscope. This took place in a real laboratory, under the watchful eye of a university professor. Visits from the Mayor and local councillors have helped pupils to understand more about democracy in the United Kingdom today.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have created a new curriculum, starting from the early years. It is carefully designed to help pupils close the gaps in their learning that have emerged during the pandemic. The design of the curriculum enables pupils to revisit previous learning and build up new knowledge in a sensible order, so ensuring that pupils achieve well. Pupils are fascinated by geography lessons and enthusiastically talked about their topic ‘What Makes the World Angry?’ They are knowledgeable about tornadoes and tsunamis and excited about what is under the earth and how volcanoes are made. 12 and 13 May 2022

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Pupils enjoy mathematics. Their work demonstrates how the logical sequence of the curriculum helps them to grow and develop their knowledge. Teachers explain concepts with clarity and accuracy. They skilfully question pupils to check their understanding. Teachers identify any misconceptions pupils might have and regularly use quizzes to assess their progress. In Year 6, pupils rose to the challenge of grappling with mathematical proof as they prepared for their transition to secondary school. Leaders place the highest importance on reading so that pupils learn to read fluently and with confidence. Starting from Reception, each child’s learning is carefully planned to build on what they already know. Reception children squealed with anticipation as their teacher, and her toy frog, decided which phonic sounds to hide next and then reveal! Together, they called out the sounds and waited eagerly for the next one. Pupils’ love of reading is

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developed strongly through singing songs and listening to familiar stories and rhymes. Effective support is swiftly given to any pupil who struggles. The books pupils read are carefully matched to the sounds they are learning. Regular visits to the library have enhanced pupils’ love of books and reading. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified swiftly and sensitively supported, so that they learn well alongside their peers. Children in the early years enjoy a vibrant, stimulating environment. Staff exploit every opportunity for children to experience the wonder of the world around them. These opportunities enrich their language and vocabulary. Nursery children were in awe after visiting a swan nesting by Jarrow Bridge. Leaders are acutely aware of the barriers and challenges that some pupils face, including their struggle to speak clearly and express their thinking. Staff work closely with the

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school’s speech and language therapist to support pupils’ language development. There are fewer opportunities in key stage 2, compared to younger year groups, for pupils to talk purposefully with adults and their peers about their learning. Pupils have limited opportunities to practise using new vocabulary through discussion or debate. Pastoral care is strong and grounded in the school’s core values of respect, tolerance, cooperation and resilience. Pupils are respectful and they behave well. Learning is rarely disrupted. Adults quickly recognise if a child is anxious or becoming distressed and they help them to manage their feelings, so that they can continue to focus on their learning. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is a strength of the school. Pupils learn about their cultural heritage through visits, for example, to Beamish and The Bede Museum. They can recall a wealth of memorable and inspiring experiences, such as the

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beauty of Greenwell Ford Farm. Pupils enjoy helping and taking on responsibilities. Younger pupils love the work of the Year 6 ‘school sports organisation crew’, who plan exciting activities for them to enjoy at lunchtimes. 12 and 13 May 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. They understand the contextual challenges of their location and ensure that all staff are thoroughly trained. Staff are vigilant. Concerns are reported swiftly. Leaders work closely with external agencies and are determined that pupils and their families receive the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe in the community. They can discuss with confidence their learning about how to keep themselves safe on the internet and when using social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are not enough opportunities for pupils to practise using new vocabulary and to improve their speech, language, and communication skills, particularly in key stage 2. This means that some pupils are not developing the skills they need to be clear and confident, articulate, speakers.  Leaders should review and refine the curriculum to include a wide range of opportunities for pupils to talk purposefully with adults and their peers, using a wider range of vocabulary, so that pupils are able to communicate well.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2011. 12 and 13 May 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 12 and 13 May 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211190 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Mrs Alison Burden (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 In September 2021, Dunn Street Primary School joined the Blue Skies Federation.  The school is currently using one registered alternative provider, The Sue Hedley Nursey School.  The school’s nursery provision is housed in the Jarrow Children’s Centre which is attached to the school.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the key stage 1 and key stage 2 leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. The inspector also met with the chair of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector met with the school’s speech and language therapist and the school’s family worker. 12 and 13 May 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lesson visits and at breaktimes. Pupils shared their views on behaviour in discussions.  The inspector scrutinised documents and records relating to safeguarding, checked the school’s single central record and met with the designated lead for safeguarding.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey, a free-text response to Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents and the responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Janice Gorlach, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 May 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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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