Eslington Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Eslington Primary School Hazel Road, Gateshead NE8 2EP

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Outcome

Eslington Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Eslington Primary School. Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum built around pupils’ personal and social needs. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education. Pupils say that school is fun. They clearly enjoy their lessons and social activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils. The school’s aims, ‘respect, responsibility, resilience, relationships’, are well understood by pupils. Pupils are supported by staff who care about them. Staff have taught pupils how to stay healthy. Pupils have an age- appropriate understanding of safe relationships. Pupils have created ‘My school journey’ books that help them to reflect on how much they have achieved during their time at school. The books record personal achievements, such as maintaining behaviour points, as well as class projects to improve the local environment around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Staff have created a positive learning environment that helps pupils to stay calm and engage in their learning. Sometimes pupils need extra support from adults to manage their emotions. Staff do this with little interruption to lessons. Bullying does not happen very often. On the very rare occasion it does, staff deal with it quickly and effectively.

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

Most pupils start at Eslington Primary School having a less than positive experience of education. Many pupils do not have the experience of continuously attending school. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to leave school with good attendance and a positive approach to learning. Leaders are succeeding in realising this ambition for most pupils.

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

Pupils enjoy reading. They read widely and often. Pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read are quickly identified when they start school. They are well supported by trained staff. Teachers ensure that pupils repeat new sounds until they know them. Extra help is provided by skilled staff until pupils can read fluently. Pupils enjoy visiting the library. 6 and 7 July 2022

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There are spaces in every classroom to snuggle up and read a book. Pupils relish the opportunity to show how well they can read and how exciting they find stories.

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Pupils enjoy lessons. Teachers assess pupils when they start school and use this information to create individual timetables. Teachers carefully plan engaging activities that build on pupils’ prior knowledge. Staff explain new information clearly and accurately. They provide opportunities for pupils to revisit what they have been taught. Teachers make regular checks on what pupils have learned. Teachers’ careful questioning helps to identify pupils who need extra help with their learning. Teachers quickly adjust their plans to help these pupils to catch up.

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Leaders have ensured that there are well-structured and clear routines throughout the school day. This helps pupils to manage their emotions and behaviours. Pupils walk a mile every morning and exercise before sitting together to eat breakfast. Pupils sing together before lessons. This helps pupils to be calm and ready to learn when lessons start.

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Leaders work closely with healthcare professionals to support pupils’ health and emotional needs. For example, psychotherapy sessions or dental visits are part of pupils’ timetables if needed. Pupils with complex social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs access the nurture provision. This provision helps pupils with social and emotional delays, so that they can take an active part in lessons and social activities with their classmates.

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Pupils have many and varied opportunities to develop new talents and social skills. Pupils enjoy a wide range of sports and are proud when they have earned the right to leave the school and take part in these activities. Pupils who remain in school play board games or take part in creative group activities, like learning the ukulele.

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Pupils have leadership roles in school, such as ‘eco leaders’. Pupils meet and debate how to improve the environment in and around school. For example, pupils decided to write to their MP to help them to deal with the litter in their area.

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Governors and leaders support the well-being and professional development of staff. Leaders have introduced well-being days, which allow staff to choose a day of leave during term time. Leaders ensure staff are well trained and encourage them to pursue research and development opportunities. This ensures that staff have a clear understanding of pupils’ needs. Staff enjoy working at the school and feel valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that there is a strong safeguarding culture in the school. They make the appropriate pre-employment checks when recruiting new staff.

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Safeguarding

All staff receive regular safeguarding training and updates from external agencies. Staff know pupils very well. As a result, they recognise any signs of concern at an early stage and report these quickly. Leaders deal with concerns promptly and effectively. 6 and 7 July 2022

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Pupils know they can talk to a trusted adult if they are worried about their safety, both when online and in the wider community. Leaders keep parents informed of how to help pupils stay safe online.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in March 2017.

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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. 6 and 7 July 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 March 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has two sites, with Year 5 and Year 6 at Rose Street and the Reception Year to Year 3 at Hazel Road. Year 4 is split across both sites.  All pupils who attend the school have education, health and care plans. The school caters for pupils with SEMH needs and autism spectrum disorder.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school defederated from Furrowfield School and the executive headteacher became the substantive headteacher in June 2022.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers and the pastoral leader. 6 and 7 July 2022

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 Inspectors conducted deep dives in reading, science, and personal, social and health education. Inspectors met with curriculum leaders, looked at pupils’ work and talked to pupils and teachers. Leaders were involved throughout the deep dive activities.  An inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors reviewed curriculum plans and looked at work in some other subjects.  An inspector met with a representative from the local authority.  An inspector met with representatives of the local governing body, including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors reviewed the responses that were received through the Ofsted online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, which included free-text comments. Inspectors considered the responses that were received through Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and the pupil survey.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including pupils

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leaving school, during lesson visits and lunchtimes.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents relating to safeguarding, including records of employment checks and safeguarding incidents. Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leaders.

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Inspection team

Christine Durand, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Penny Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 July 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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