Wellfield Middle School

Inspection of a good school: Wellfield Middle School Kielder Road, South Wellfield, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear NE25 9QW

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Outcome

Wellfield Middle School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like their school. They gain a great deal from the increasing range of opportunities to develop their musical and sporting prowess. Pupils are proud to represent their school in sports, musical and academic events.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s well-being team and learning coaches are held in high esteem by pupils. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), appreciate the support for their mental health and welfare. The assistance they receive in the hub or caravan helps pupils develop strategies to reduce any anxieties they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils join the school midway through key stage 2. They quickly learn the school’s routines and understand its high academic expectations. Pupils know the importance of regular attendance. They behave in a safe and respectful manner. They get along well in lessons and work collaboratively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils recognise the value of hard work and want to do their best. They are motivated by adults’ praise and positive reinforcement. Pupils learn from an ambitious, well-constructed curriculum. There are lots of books for them to read. Pupils read often and enjoy being read to.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe, including from bullying. They report any concerns to adults. Adults are quick to take appropriate action to resolve issues.

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

Three years ago, leaders carried out a thorough review of the curriculum. Staff played a full part in this process. The reshaped curriculum is framed in the school’s five Cs (coherence, communication, creativity, community and compassion). In each subject, it sets out what pupils should learn, clearly and in a logical order. Where the curriculum is 13 and 14 March 2024

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firmly established, pupils develop a thorough understanding of the subject, and many achieve well. This is reflected in the quality of their work and in their achievement in end of key stage 2 assessments. The school continues to make improvements to the curriculum. A recent review identified that a few aspects are not so well established and not delivered in line with the school’s intentions. Where this is the case, pupils’ grasp of important knowledge is less secure.

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The school uses well-established processes to gain an accurate understanding of pupils’ needs and capabilities, including those with SEND, when they join the school. In most subjects, teachers use this information to pitch learning at the right level for pupils. In lessons, teachers focus on important key knowledge, including technical language. They give pupils time to practise subject-specific processes. Teachers use assessment to spot and correct any misconceptions pupils may have. These are strong features in mathematics, music and reading. Pupils remember, and enjoy, much of what they study.

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The school’s focus on reading is reaping handsome rewards. Pupils study a wide range of texts. They are knowledgeable in their discussions about the characters and themes they come across in these texts. Pupils who find reading tough receive the support they need. Adults provide pupils with lots of opportunities to read out loud. Pupils, including those with SEND, become more confident and fluent readers. Regular, frequent tutor-time reading helps pupils develop positive reading habits. Many sustain a love of reading. Pupils achieve well in national assessments.

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Pupils develop a mature understanding of diversity and are respectful of different beliefs and lifestyles. Pupils in key stage 3 receive suitable information about the world of work and careers. Learning coaches and the well-being team provide pupils with high-quality pastoral support.

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The school sets high expectations for pupils’ attendance and behaviour. Staff are consistent in applying these expectations. Pupils respond well. Most become active learners – speaking and listening politely in lessons.

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Many parents comment positively about the school’s caring, inclusive ethos. The school has put in place several avenues to keep parents informed of their children’s education. Some of these avenues do not work as well as leaders intend. Some parents express frustration about the ways in which the school communicates with them and responds to issues that they raise.

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Leaders and governors take care to consider staff well-being. Leaders also take appropriate steps to ensure that staff have the training and time to perform their roles well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 and 14 March 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ work to develop the curriculum is ongoing. In some areas, teachers are still getting to grips with how best to teach specific topics. Where this is the case, pupils do not develop a secure grasp of important knowledge over time. Leaders should continue to provide teachers with the training and support required to teach the curriculum equally well in all subjects.  Some of the school’s avenues of communication are not up to date. This causes frustration to some parents. Leaders should review and make suitable changes to the school’s processes for communicating with parents and responding to the issues that they raise.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February

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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.

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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, 13 and 14 March 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.wellfieldmiddleschool.org.uk/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 February 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a well-below-average proportion of pupils entitled to pupil premium funding and a well-below-average proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The school does not make use of alternative provisions.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; spoke with leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the 13 and 14 March 2024

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school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and with other members of the senior leadership team responsible for safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, inspectors visited lessons, reviewed curriculum documents and spoke with curriculum leaders and teachers. Inspectors also spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also spoke with leaders, reviewed curriculum documentation and looked at some pupils’ work in history.  An inspector met with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and visited lessons to see how pupils with SEND are supported to learn.  Inspectors met with teachers and with support staff, including those from the school’s

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well-being team.  Inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils to understand their experience of school.  Inspectors held meetings with representatives from the local governing body and also with the school’s development partner.  Inspectors scrutinised records and actions relating to attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s staff surveys. They considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.

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Inspection team

John Lucas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John Downs Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 March 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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