Broadwood Primary School

Inspection of Broadwood Primary School Broadwood Road, Denton Burn, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE15 7TB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 1 and 2 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Strong and trusting relationships are the hallmark of this welcoming and inclusive school. Leaders have transformed the school. They make it their priority to get to know the pupils in their care. They do all they can to nurture and support them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their learning and the opportunities they receive. This creates a ‘buzz’ about the school. Pupils know that their teachers want the absolute best for them. They reciprocate this by trying their hardest.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. A restorative approach helps them to achieve this. This is paying dividends. The school is calm and orderly. Most lessons are free of disruption. Older pupils talk sensibly about how their behaviour has improved and how they are more considerate of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are confident that ‘bullying does not happen here’. They learn about the different types of bullying and the importance of telling an adult.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Playtimes are lively occasions. Pupils relish the opportunity to play in the extensive grounds. They demonstrate excitement and wonder in their play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wider opportunities on offer. Older pupils are particularly excited about their forthcoming trip to Barcelona. They describe it as being ‘the trip of a lifetime’.

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better?

There is much to celebrate at Broadwood. New leaders are driving improvements in all aspects of school life. They have a strong focus on improving pupils’ outcomes, which historically have been too low. A new, ambitious curriculum is in place. It considers pupils’ starting points and addresses gaps in their learning.

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better?

Leaders in all subjects have mapped out the important knowledge pupils will learn. Assessment strategies are woven into curriculum plans. Teachers use such strategies to check what pupils know and can do. Reading, oracy, personal development and aspiration underpin all curriculum thinking. They are a strong feature in all subjects.

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better?

Leaders are determined that all pupils will learn to read. There is a carefully crafted approach to developing pupils’ reading confidence and stamina. This is bearing fruit. Staff access high-quality training to help them deliver the phonics programme effectively. Regular checks on what pupils know mean they receive timely support to keep up. Pupils practise their reading daily. They use books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge to do so. As a result, current pupils are making better progress in their reading. 1 and 2 March 2023

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In mathematics, content is sequenced well. Opportunities for pupils to revisit and consolidate their learning are frequent. This is helping to build pupils’ mathematical knowledge and skills securely. Pupils say they ‘love maths’. They can talk about their current and previous learning with confidence. They show resilience when tackling more demanding work.

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Leaders have introduced a new approach to the teaching of writing. This has improved the quality of pupils' fiction writing successfully. There is more to do to improve the quality of pupils’ writing in other styles where inconsistency remains.

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In other subjects, leaders have created ‘knowledge developers’. These provide a handy prompt for pupils. They identify the smaller chunks of knowledge and important vocabulary pupils must learn. They are a consistent feature in lessons and are helping pupils to remember more. ‘Concept maps’ add greater detail to curriculum plans. They show the important concepts that deepen pupils’ understanding. In this aspect of the curriculum, there is greater variability. For example, in science, there is a lack of precision in how pupils will acquire the conceptual understanding to work scientifically.

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Children in the early years are curious in their play. Effective questioning and interactions with adults support children’s development. Leaders have reviewed curriculum plans to make sure that children have the important knowledge they need to be ready for Year 1.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully involved in school life. Staff receive regular training to ensure they have the knowledge needed to support pupils with a range of needs. Pupils in the unit for the hearing-impaired receive expert guidance to access the full curriculum.

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The school’s culture and ethos contribute effectively to pupils’ personal development. Curriculum content is structured well. Pupils learn about themselves and others often and with increasing complexity. Leaders adapt the curriculum to address contextual issues. For example, leaders made a prompt and appropriate response to a spate in knife crime across the region.

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Governors provide effective support and challenge to school leaders. Staff well-being and workload are important considerations for them. Staff recognise and welcome such support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Robust recruitment procedures ensure that anyone wishing to work at the school is suitably vetted. Leaders and governors make certain that all staff receive regular and comprehensive safeguarding training. 1 and 2 March 2023

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Staff know their pupils well. They are alert to any changes in pupils’ demeanour that may be a cause for concern. Safeguarding records show the timeliness of staff in their reporting. Leaders are prompt to follow up such concerns.

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Pupils learn about important ways in which to keep themselves safe, particularly when accessing the internet or social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Previous approaches to the teaching of writing and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to weaknesses in pupils’ writing skills. This means that the quality of pupils’ writing is variable when writing for different purposes. Leaders should strengthen further the new approach to the teaching of writing so that pupils’ outcomes continue to improve and remaining inconsistencies in the quality of writing are ironed out.  In some subjects, leaders have not mapped out the core concepts clearly. Pupils do not have consistent opportunities to extend their thinking and deepen their understanding. Leaders should address this aspect of curriculum planning so that all pupils receive increasing opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of key concepts in all subjects.

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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. 1 and 2 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255745 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.broadwoodprimary.co.uk/we bsite Date of previous inspection 25 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the West End School’s Trust (WEST), along with seven other primary schools in the city of Newcastle.  The school has a hearing-impaired additional resource provision (HIARP), resourced by the local authority. Ten pupils currently attend the centre. Pupils attend lessons in the HIARP and in school with the support of specialist teachers and teaching assistants.  Children attend full-time early years provision in both Reception and Nursery classes.  The school runs a before- and after-school club each day.  Pupil numbers at the school have reduced since the previous inspection.

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

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 This is 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, the deputy headteacher, senior leaders and a range of staff.  Inspectors met with members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body, representatives from the local authority and the school improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors reviewed curriculum plans, talked to subject leaders, teachers and pupils. They visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector observed pupils reading to their teacher. A further scrutiny of pupils’ writing and their work in geography was completed.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, inspectors reviewed school policies, procedures and records. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors also spoke with staff, governors and pupils about the school’s approach to keeping pupils safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and reviewed the school’s behaviour records.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys and spoke with parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Diane Buckle, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Moira Banks Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 March 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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