Fellgate Primary School

Inspection of Fellgate Primary School Oxford Way, Durham Drive, Fellgate Estate, Jarrow, Tyne and Wear NE32 4XA

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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 6 and 7 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Key school values, such as ‘respect, inclusion and challenge,’ are lived out by the whole school community at Fellgate Primary School. It is a school where everyone is truly welcome. Pupils are safe, happy and proud to be pupils here. A caring ethos weaves through all parts of the school. Pupils are caring, kind and supportive of each other. They celebrate everyone’s differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, including governors, have high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils meet these high ambitions in the progress they make as they move through school. Dedicated and caring staff look after pupils well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be role models. Their mutual respect for each other and towards staff make classrooms friendly and supportive places to learn. Leaders carefully plan how pupils from across the school work together. This helps pupils to learn from one another in different ways, such as when learning Makaton and competing in sports events.

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better?

Leaders have implemented a clearly defined curriculum. This enables all pupils, including pupils with SEND, to build knowledge and skills over time. Carefully chosen resources help bring the curriculum to life. Starting in early years, the curriculum includes small steps of success in each subject area. Leaders evaluate accurately the impact their curriculum is having on pupils’ progress.

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better?

Pupils recall knowledge effectively. They are beginning to make purposeful links between the knowledge they learn in different topics. In mathematics, daily retrieval tasks help pupils to revisit and remember key knowledge. In early years, well- considered activities support children to revisit their previous learning well. For example, pupils use their colour-mixing knowledge when doing large-scale paintings outside. Assessment is purposeful. It captures what pupils have learned and remembered. During lessons, teachers use questions carefully to pick up any misconceptions pupils have. They address these misconceptions quickly. This helps pupils to move on with their learning effectively. The school has recently moved to some mixed-age classes. In some subjects in the wider curriculum, like art and design and geography, the curriculum does not provide enough challenge to some pupils in mixed-age classes.

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better?

Pupils benefit from daily precise phonics teaching. The school carefully tracks the progress pupils are making. This ensures that they stay on track with their phonics knowledge. When pupils need support to catch up, they receive it promptly. Children in early years enjoy stories and rhymes. This enjoyment extends throughout the school. Older pupils talk about their class novels and personal reading books with enthusiasm and knowledge. 6 and 7 February 2024

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The school understands the importance of regular attendance. Leaders provide support to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. However, some pupils do not attend school as often as they should.

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Leaders and staff focus on understanding the individual needs of all pupils effectively. Pupils with SEND receive precise support to meet their personal targets. The on-site specialist provision enables pupils to be supported effectively. Pupils who attend this provision access the same mainstream curriculum as their peers. Across the whole school, teachers use adaptations skilfully. These help pupils with SEND to succeed alongside their peers. The school plans effective integration between pupils in both parts of the school. Older pupils from both settings articulate clearly how they benefit from this joint working.

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Equality is ever present in this school. Pupils are treated fairly. School rules, rewards and consequences are understood by all. Familiar routines and expectations benefit everyone in school. Leaders carefully consider enrichment opportunities for all pupils to participate in. Pupils enjoy and benefit from joint residential visits. All pupils talk about the challenges they overcome through such experiences. Pupils are proud to hold leadership responsibilities. Pupil leaders talk about the impact their roles have in the school and beyond. Leaders in sport have changed games at lunchtime. School councillors suggest ways to raise money. Pupils are being well prepared for life in modern Britain. They understand, and are respectful about, diversity. Pupils know what skills are needed to be successful in some different occupations.

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Training for leaders, including governors, and staff is closely aligned to the ambitions of the school. Leaders ensure training supports the impact of the curriculum and meets the needs of the pupils in school. Staff are proud to work at Fellgate Primary School. A sense of teamwork is ever present across school. Governors have the same high expectations as leaders. They provide effective challenge and support to leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, like geography and art and design, the curriculum does not clearly set out the progression, in disciplinary aspects of the curriculum, in mixed- age classes. This results in some pupils not being sufficiently challenged in these subjects. These pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. The school must refine the curriculum further so that the progression in disciplinary learning is clearer for all pupils.  Despite support from the school, some pupils do not attend as regularly as they should. As a result, these pupils fall behind their peers and have gaps in their 6 and 7 February 2024

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learning. The school must continue to work with families to improve pupils’ attendance further.

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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). 6 and 7 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 September 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has an additionally resourced provision, funded by the local authority, for pupils with autism who have an education, health and care plan. This provision has places for 50 pupils aged between 4 and 11. There are currently 48 pupils on roll. This provision is referred to as ‘The Base’ by the school community. All pupils who attend The Base are on the roll of Fellgate Primary School. These pupils access mainstream education and the same curriculum as all pupils in the school.  The school offers a breakfast club.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is significantly above the national average.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 6 and 7 February 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Prior to the inspection, the lead inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website, as well as published information about the school’s performance and previous Ofsted inspections.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons and spoke to teachers and teaching assistants. They spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors listened to pupils at the early stages of reading with a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single

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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 gathered views of parents informally in person and formally through responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text responses. The views of staff were considered through the staff survey and through meetings with them. Pupils’ views were considered through a pupil survey and through pupil meetings.  An inspector spoke with representatives from the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classes, at breakfast club and during breaks and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Emily Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Lianne Dixon Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 February 2024

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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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