North View Academy

Inspection of a good school: North View Academy St. Lukes Road, South Hylton, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR4 0HB

p.1

Inspection dates: 28 and 29 November 2023

p.1

Outcome

North View Academy continues to be a good school.

p.1

Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Gary Mellefont. The school is part of WISE Academies, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Zoe Carr, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Margaret Elise Wright-Stephenson.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at North View Academy. Relationships between pupils and staff are caring and strong. Staff know pupils very well. Pupils rise to the high expectations that adults have for them.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils at the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities and have an education, health and care plan. Staff skilfully support pupils with their individual needs. This includes pupils who find communication difficult. Pupils trust the adults who work with them to support them if they have a concern.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They move around the school calmly and with respect for each other. Some pupils struggle to manage their own behaviour. Staff respond to these pupils with skill and patience. They provide pupils with the support and guidance they need to regulate themselves better. Bullying is very rare. Records show that when it does happen, staff act quickly to stop it. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures that staff plan for pupils’ personal development throughout the school day. Pupils have the opportunity to take part in activities such as supporting local charities, developing their understanding of the local community and learning skills that will help them to develop their independence.

p.1

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

The school has carefully constructed a broad and ambitious curriculum, which is based on the national curriculum. Leaders have designed the curriculum to help all pupils prepare for their next stage in education. The school supports pupils to achieve to their full 28 and 29 November 2023

p.1

2

potential. Leaders ensure that advice from therapists and other professionals is understood and implemented effectively by staff.

p.2

2

The school’s curriculum specifies what individual pupils must know. Leaders have planned this learning carefully so that, in most subjects, pupils build their subject knowledge and skills over time. However, in a minority of subjects, the curriculum does not help pupils to build on what they already know. Each morning, staff teach English and mathematics in classes that match pupils’ level of understanding. This helps teachers to deliver learning that best meets the needs of the pupils. Afternoon lessons are arranged within tutor groups to support learning across other curriculum subjects.

p.2

2

Leaders have developed a carefully considered approach to the teaching of reading. This begins at the earliest stages, where pupils enjoy sharing stories with an adult. Staff match the books for those at the earliest stages of reading to pupils’ interests and the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to develop reading fluency over time.

p.2

2

Leaders and staff promote pupils’ personal development effectively. Pupils benefit from the many enrichment activities offered by the school, including talking time for a ‘Hug in a Mug’, acts of kindness, celebrations and attending the sports ability festival. Pupils experience many trips and visits, including trips to the zoo, park and local sports grounds. These memorable experiences enhance pupils’ learning well.

p.2

2

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support leaders provide for their workload and well-being. Governors and trustees support the school well and provide effective challenge to leaders.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school’s curriculum is not developed as well as it could be. Opportunities for pupils to build on their prior learning are limited. This means that some pupils do not make as much progress through the curriculum as they could. The school needs to further develop the curriculum in these subject areas to ensure that pupils are able to know and remember more over time.

p.2

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be 28 and 29 November 2023

p.2

3

a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

p.3

3

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2018.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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). 28 and 29 November 2023

p.3

School details

School category Academy special converter

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 April 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 The school is part of WISE Academies.  North View Academy is a specialist primary provision for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, as well as autism.  The school does not use alternative education providers.

p.4

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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspectors also met with members of the governing body and the trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and art. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the 28 and 29 November 2023

p.4

5

curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered other evidence of the educational experience of the pupils.  Inspectors visited pupils across the school, in classes, during social times and in separate pupil meetings.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  Inspectors considered the views of staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff survey. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

p.5

Inspection team

Catherine Beard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.5

Inspection team

Paul Barton Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 November 2023

p.5

6

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.

p.6

6

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

6

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

6

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

6

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6