Yohden Primary School

Inspection of Yohden Primary School Windsor Terrace, Horden, Peterlee, County Durham SR8 4HP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 8 and 9 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Yohden Primary is a caring, welcoming school. Everyone is included and expected to do their best. Pupils rise to this challenge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite, courteous and respectful of one another. Staff build strong relationships with pupils. Older pupils are superb role models. They are mature and sensible when talking to adults. They relished the opportunity to talk to inspectors about the different responsibilities they are given. For example, they talked about being part of the mini police and helping other pupils by being a peer mentor.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and love learning because they study an exciting curriculum. School trips enrich this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers make classrooms calm and purposeful places to learn. Pupils work diligently and are keen to do their best. Breaktimes are positive, social occasions. Pupils enjoy time with friends and develop teamwork skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils say that they feel safe. Bullying is rare. If pupils have concerns, they have lots of trusted adults to talk to and share these with.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are positive about the support they receive from all staff. The comment of one parent was typical of many when he said, ‘Staff go above and beyond. They are amazing.’

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better?

Staff teach the reading curriculum well and pupils learn to read quickly. In lessons, pupils are gradually introduced to new sounds. They read books using the sounds they know. All staff make regular checks on pupils’ reading. If pupils fall behind, the school takes swift action to make sure they catch up. Pupils practise reading every day. Pupils become confident, fluent readers.

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better?

Pupils enjoy listening to the class story at the end of the day. Pupils share their enthusiasm about the different books that teachers read to them. Leaders ensure that the stories cover a wide variety of subjects, written by quality authors. The reading ambassadors play an active role in promoting reading and in creating spaces to read at breaktimes.

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better?

Pupils learn mathematics well. It is clear what pupils should learn and remember over time. Regular checks are made to ensure pupils’ knowledge is secure. Catch-up programmes are in place for those who need this. These help pupils build strong knowledge of the basics in mathematics that they can then apply in lessons.

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better?

Leaders and staff have high ambitions for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know pupils well. Pupils get the right support and use the right resources, which means they achieve success. Pupils achieve the best 8 and 9 November 2023

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they can, irrespective of any barrier they may face. This prepares them well for their next stage in education.

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In the foundation subjects, leaders ensure the curriculum is broad and balanced. Teachers introduce a wide range of information clearly and pupils enjoy learning these subjects. However, information does not always build on what pupils already know. This is because the most important knowledge to be learned by the end of a topic is yet to be clearly identified.

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. Leaders provide children with meaningful opportunities to develop their communication and language skills. Strong reading routines begin in the early years. Children’s independence is encouraged at every opportunity. Children thrive in response to the wealth of learning opportunities available to them indoors and out.

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Pupils have high expectations of their own behaviour and that of others. Pupils are highly knowledgeable about how to take care of their own mental health and well- being. They appreciate how staff support them during nurture group time. When explaining the importance of this, one pupil said, ‘This is so everyone can be their best self.’

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The curriculum to support pupils’ wider personal development is exceptional. Leaders ensure this prepares pupils fully for the challenges they may face outside of school. Pupils learn about British values and show thorough knowledge of these. They are effusive when they talk about the rights of individuals and equality.

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Pupils understand they are preparing to be good citizens. They know that what they learn in school is a big part of their future success. They recognise the positive contribution they make to the community, for example by being part of crochet club, making hats for babies at the local hospital.

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Subject leaders are supported to fulfil their roles. They have expert knowledge and use this to develop others. All staff are proud to work at the school. Governors are very supportive. They hold leaders to account for the achievement of pupils and the quality of the curriculum that pupils experience.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the foundation subjects, the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn has not been mapped out clearly enough. This leads to some gaps in pupils’ knowledge in these subjects. Leaders should continue with their plans to identify the core knowledge to be learned by the end of a topic. 8 and 9 November 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 8 and 9 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Isabella Roberts

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last school inspection, a new headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed.  The school does not currently use any 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and pupils. 8 and 9 November 2023

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 The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the vice chair of governors. She also spoke to a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and geography. In each subject, inspectors met with subject leaders, talked to pupils, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to adults who they know.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspection team took account of a range of other information, including the school’s development plans, policies, and minutes from governors’ meetings.

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 Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the free-text comments that were submitted. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff and pupil surveys and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Melanie Maitland, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Natalie Fountain Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 November 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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