Western Community Primary School

Inspection of Western Community Primary School Rutland Road, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear NE28 8QL

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Inspection dates: 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Western. They benefit from a curriculum that reflects the school’s aim of being ‘adventurous, ambitious and exciting’. Staff understand pupils’ individual needs well. Pupils receive high-quality pastoral support. They are confident and articulate. They are proud of their school. Pupils are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils live up to the school’s high expectations of behaviour. They behave exceptionally well in lessons and around the school. There is no disruption to learning. Pupils are respectful to each other. Bullying is rare. Staff deal with this swiftly and effectively if it does occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils. Pupils work hard in lessons. The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. By the time pupils move on to secondary school, they realise, or exceed, these expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well prepared for life beyond school. They learn life skills, such as how to manage money. Parents and carers appreciate the support that the school offers to develop the whole child. One parent captured the thoughts of many by saying, ‘My children are happy, loved and well cared for by the school. Their life is more positive because of the work this school does.’

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better?

Children in early years enjoy an exceptional start to their education. There is a well- planned curriculum. The school ensures all activities build securely on what children know and can do. Progress across the early years is noticeable. Adults encourage children to explore. For example, children demonstrate their innate curiosity in the nature areas. They treat creatures gently and with respect. Adults carefully model language and vocabulary for children. The children are quick to use new words and phrases in their own play and learning.

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better?

The support offered to disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is a strength of the school. Well-trained staff identify emerging needs promptly. They put appropriate and effective support in place. As a result, disadvantaged pupils achieve highly.

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better?

Pupils benefit from consistent teaching in phonics lessons. Teachers identify gaps in phonics knowledge accurately. Pupils gradually become fluent and confident readers. They develop extremely positive attitudes to reading. Older pupils understand the importance of being able to read well. By the end of key stage 2, pupils’ reading attainment is high. However, the quality of the teaching of reading across the school is not reflected in published outcomes for pupils in Year 1 and Year 2. This is because pupils had not previously benefited from the school’s recent improvements to the teaching of early reading. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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In most subjects, there is a clear progression in the development of pupils’ knowledge. Pupils retain important knowledge well. They confidently use what they have learned when they move on to new learning. For example, children in early years understand the term ‘habitat’, with older pupils talking with understanding about ‘metamorphosis’. Year 2 pupils in science talk with understanding about herbivores and carnivores. They understand that these animals have different diets. In some subjects, however, pupils do not recall prior learning as securely as they need to. The school is aware of this. The school is in the process of implementing revised subject curriculums. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ retention of what they have learned. In a small number of subjects, however, this work is still at an early stage.

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Most pupils attend well. The school takes prompt and effective action to support pupils whose attendance is not as consistent as it needs to be. As a result of these actions, attendance is improving.

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The school’s support for pupils’ wider development is exemplary. There is a thorough and well-sequenced personal development curriculum. Pupils learn how to be well- rounded citizens. They make a tangible, positive contribution to their school and the wider community. For example, pupils regularly visit residents at a local home for older people. Pupils take on leadership roles in school. These roles include well- being ambassadors, school councillors and librarians. Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips, including a residential trip to London. They visit the Houses of Parliament to gain a better understanding of democracy, for example. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They have a keen sense of equality. They talk with understanding about the legal status of protected characteristics, for example.

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Governors have a clear understanding of the school. They are actively involved in the day-to-day life of the school. Governors monitor the school’s achievement closely. There is a clear focus on ensuring the school has a positive impact on all pupils. Parents are regularly involved in the life of the school. Staff feel valued. They appreciate the support they get with their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils’ outcomes in reading at key stage 1 are below national expectations and have declined slightly over a four-year period. This means that some pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education. The school should continue to improve the provision in early reading so that more pupils achieve the expected standards by the end of key stage 1. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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 In a small number of subjects, opportunities for pupils to revisit and embed prior learning are inconsistent. This means that pupils’ understanding, and articulation of, their prior learning is not secure. The school should ensure that the implementation of the curriculum allows pupils to embed their prior learning securely in these subjects.

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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). 30 April and 1 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 February 2012, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  A significant number of the staff were not working at the school during the previous inspection.  The school’s number of pupils on roll is well above average.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.  The proportion of pupils who are entitled to receive the government’s additional pupil premium funding is above average.

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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. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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 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 head of school, other school leaders, school staff, some parents, representatives of the governing body and a school improvement officer from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, religious education, science and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to a familiar adult.  The inspectors also met with leaders and discussed the curriculum in some other

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subjects.  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.  The inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The inspectors considered the responses to the online staff survey, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Richard Beadnall, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mary Cook His Majesty’s Inspector 30 April and 1 May 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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