Chillingham Road Primary School

Inspection of Chillingham Road Primary School Ninth Avenue, Heaton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE6 5XX

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 17 and 18 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have nurtured a welcoming and inclusive environment. There is a strong sense of belonging for all. The school is firmly rooted at the heart of the community. The school’s history is kept alive in the fascinating ‘living museum’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils display a mature understanding of equality and diversity. They are assured that ‘it is ok to be different here’. Pupils learn quickly to treat everyone with respect and to show tolerance of others. As a result, relationships are strong.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say their friends are the best thing about their school. They say there is always someone to talk to and to play with.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They have a secure understanding of bullying and its forms. Pupils know it is important to tell.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils will achieve. However, despite leaders’ strong aspirational vision, the quality of education requires improvement.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about the curriculum they want for their school. They have set out ambitious priorities for each year group in all subjects. Enquiry questions are posed for each study unit to engage pupils in their learning.

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better?

In mathematics, the curriculum is well structured. It provides pupils with a chance to practise what they are learning so they can remember more. Pupils can use what they already know to support new learning. Teachers use ongoing assessment to identify pupils in need of extra support.

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better?

Leaders are nurturing a love of reading in pupils. In early reading, teachers follow a highly structured scheme to teach phonics. Books are matched to pupils’ phonic knowledge. Leaders use assessment effectively to make sure pupils are keeping up.

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better?

Older pupils can talk with confidence about the books they have read. Leaders have chosen quality texts to act as a stimulus for pupils’ wider reading and writing. There is an intention that pupils will know the key features of a range of genres. However, curriculum guidance is too broad, which leads to some variability in pupils’ outcomes. For example, a review of comprehension books demonstrates an emphasis on developing retrieval skills at the expense of inference skills.

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better?

In subjects such as geography and science, curriculum plans are not sharply focused. Plans do not specify the important knowledge that pupils must learn and how this knowledge will build year on year. Assessment in these subjects is still developing. It is not informing curriculum adaptations as leaders intend. As a result, pupils struggle to recall facts and to deepen their learning. 17 and 18 January 2023

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified promptly. Leaders have sharpened the quality of the target-setting process for them. Targets now identify the small steps needed to help pupils with SEND make progress through the curriculum. However, there remains variability in the effectiveness of the support provided. This means that some pupils with SEND are not able to access learning well enough.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is carefully constructed and thoughtfully planned. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of relationships and health education. They receive many opportunities to debate and discuss a range of topics. Pupils recently led the ‘Safer Streets’ initiative to reduce pavement parking outside their school. Similarly, ‘Waste Warriors’ have reduced food waste in school by a third. Such projects are preparing pupils well to be active citizens.

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In the early years, emphasis is given to the prime areas of learning. Leaders prioritise the development of children’s language and communication skills. Throughout the day, there are ongoing opportunities to repeat learning activities. The personal and social development of children is most effective. Some of the very youngest children can negotiate effective play with their peers.

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Although there are weaknesses in the quality of education, leadership of the school remains good. Leaders, including governors, are reflective, and identify the right priorities for improvement. They are committed to moving the school forward.

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There are several teachers new to the school this year, including some early career teachers. Staff report that they feel very well supported. Leaders are strongly committed to ensuring that staff and pupils are free from harassment and bullying.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know their pupils and wider families exceptionally well. Leaders are quick to act on concerns brought to their attention. They work well with other agencies to support families when needed.

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Safeguarding

Recruitment procedures are thorough. A strong programme of training makes sure that all staff know the important role they play in keeping children safe.

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Safeguarding

An equally robust training programme is available for pupils, which begins as soon as pupils start school. Leaders use a simple and effective format of ‘five ways to’, such as five ways to keep yourself safe on the internet. As a result, pupils’ knowledge of how to keep themselves safe builds progressively. 17 and 18 January 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In subjects beyond English and mathematics, pupils struggle to remember what they have learned. Subject-specific knowledge is not mapped out with enough precision to build pupils’ understanding. Leaders need to ensure that the precise knowledge pupils need to learn is clearly defined and sequenced so that pupils can remember more.  The use of assessment is not consistent across all subjects in the curriculum. Assessment information is not used well enough to make the curriculum adaptations needed so that learning builds on what pupils already know and can do. Leaders need to ensure that they embed their approaches to assessment to help pupils learn more.  There is variability in the effectiveness of the support provided for some pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils are not able to access their learning well enough. Leaders need to ensure that all pupils with SEND have appropriate provision to meet their needs and to help them to be successful in their learning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.chillingham.newcastle.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club and after-school club.  The school is one of the oldest in the city of Newcastle. It is currently undergoing accessibility compliance works.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: early reading, wider reading, mathematics, science and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to 17 and 18 January 2023

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teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised a sample of pupils’ writing and met with leaders for personal, social and health education.  To check the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements, inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and the deputy designated safeguarding lead and scrutinised relevant policies and procedures.  Inspectors met with the chair of the local governing board and five other governors.  A meeting was held with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school was observed, and behaviour logs and incidents were reviewed.  Inspectors met with pupil groups to discuss their understanding of behaviour and how they keep themselves safe.

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Inspection team

Diane Buckle, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nichola Irving Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 January 2023

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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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