Hudson Road Primary School

Inspection of Hudson Road Primary School Villiers Street South, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR1 2AH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 23 and 24 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hudson Road Primary School is a school where everyone is made to feel welcome. Children in the early years have an excellent start to school. They quickly learn the routines of school and thrive. Pupils and staff alike, treat each other with respect. Many pupils join the school mid-way through the year unable to speak English. Staff are skilled in supporting these pupils to access the full curriculum. Leaders are ambitious for all to achieve well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour and attitudes to learning are exceptional. During the school day, pupils show positive attitudes toward their learning. They work hard to demonstrate the school’s core values, which include valuing the unique and diverse school community and respecting each other’s differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught to understand what bullying is. They know how to speak out and report concerns. Staff act promptly to sort out problems. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe. They know that staff listen to their worries and help them to sort out their problems.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff value pupils’ opinions. Pupils are proud to contribute towards improving their school. They appreciate the ‘suggestions box’ and being members of the pupil action team. Last year, pupils made a garden in the school grounds for everyone to enjoy.

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better?

Leaders have designed a well-structured curriculum. They have identified what they want pupils to learn from Nursery to Year 6. Oracy weaves through the entire curriculum to ensure pupils learn the language they need for the curriculum. Teachers clearly model the vocabulary that they want pupils to use in lessons. They check pupils’ understanding often. Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to practise and revisit their learning through ‘memory jogger’ activities. For example, in the early years, children learn where they live. In geography in Year 1, pupils use maps to locate where they live. This helps pupils to remember what they have learned.

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better?

Leaders prioritise learning to speak, read and write English so that all pupils can access the full curriculum. This is achieved through prompt assessment and effective support from knowledgeable staff. Staff teach phonics consistently well. Phonics attainment was low last year. Leaders have put systems in place to help pupils to catch up. This means that older pupils read well across the whole curriculum. Leaders select engaging texts which pupils enjoy reading together, such as ‘Cool!’ by Michael Morpurgo. Older pupils enjoy writing book reviews for their friends. They play ‘Bookopoly’, moving their character around a games board after every book they read. This incentive motivates pupils to read often.

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better?

Pupils are enthusiastic about mathematics. Right from the start in Nursery, children learn to problem solve and reason. They use mathematical language, for example 23 and 24 May 2023

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when filling and carrying buckets of water to ‘build’ a wall of bricks. Staff choose resources to best support pupils’ learning, for example using shapes with holes in them so that pupils easily recognise numbers. This helps pupils to make connections when counting ‘one more’ and ‘one less.’

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Pupils with SEND receive effective support. They use resources such as tablets, to help them record their learning. Pupils say that they find this method of working helpful. Leaders ensure pupils’ needs are promptly identified. Staff work well with external professionals to inform the ‘small steps’ in pupils’ support plans. However, some support plans, for a few pupils with SEND, do not identify these ‘small steps’ precisely enough. This makes it difficult to see how well pupils’ outcomes are improving.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are highly motivated to achieve success. For example, Year 5 pupils improved their throwing and catching techniques in a physical education (PE) lesson. Pupils later applied their skills in a game of rounders. Children in the early years manage their feelings well. This helps them to stay focused on activities.

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The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education is well structured. Pupils learn about different types of families and about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to make their community a better place. Pupils enjoy their roles as mini police and being members of the anti-bullying and well-being teams. Leaders have made strong links between local businesses and the curriculum. Many pupils say that they want to be teachers, nurses or architects. Pupils understand that success at school will support them later in life.

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Leaders, including governors, have forged strong links with parents and carers. Many parents appreciate the support they receive to help their children at home. Governors know the school and local community well. Events such as the annual ‘Big Picnic’ help to bring the community together. Governors provide support and challenge to leaders. They make sure actions taken by leaders benefit all pupils. Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the support they receive from leaders to fulfil their responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that safeguarding is a priority. Staff are well trained and know the pupils and their families well. Staff understand the procedures for reporting concerns. Leaders respond promptly to concerns raised. They work well with external safeguarding partners so that pupils and their families receive the support that they need. Leaders ensure staff are kept up to date with the risks that pupils may face in the local community. Pupils learn how to stay safe in the community and online through the computing curriculum, visiting speakers and assemblies. 23 and 24 May 2023

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Safer recruitment procedures are thorough. Leaders make sure that all adults who work in the school are suitable to work with pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The ‘small steps’ in some support plans for pupils with SEND are not precise enough. These plans do not reflect the support that pupils receive in school. This makes it difficult to see if outcomes are improving and for parents to have a clear picture of the support that their child is receiving. Leaders need to ensure that they support teachers to write ‘small steps’ which are tightly focused on what pupils need to learn next.

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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. 23 and 24 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255677 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 December 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new chair of the governing body has been appointed since the previous inspection.  Bright Stars Nursery is registered by the governing body and operates on the school site.  The school runs a breakfast club and after-school clubs for pupils who attend the school.  There has been a recent increase in the number of pupils on the school roll.  The school does not currently make use of alternative provision.

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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. 23 and 24 May 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinators, the early years leader and other school leaders. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector also held a telephone conversation with a representative from Sunderland local authority and met with the school improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, computing, geography and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors 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 lead inspector observed some pupils at the early stages of reading read with familiar adults.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke to staff, parents and governors. Safeguarding documentation was scrutinised, including policies and the school’s

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single central record. The lead inspector met with the headteacher, who is also one of the school’s designated safeguarding leads.  Inspectors gathered the views of parents through discussions and responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text responses. The views of staff and pupils were considered through meetings and responses to surveys.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classes, during breaktimes and at lunchtime. Records of behaviour and bullying incidents were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cathy Lee Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 May 2023

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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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