St Oswald's CofE Aided Primary School

Inspection of St Oswald’s C of E Aided Primary School St Oswald’s Road, Hebburn, Tyne and Wear NE31 1HT

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Oswald’s C of E Aided Primary School is a warm and welcoming school. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They value each other and the experiences the school offers them. The school’s vision is woven throughout the school day. The school’s values, such as aspire and believe, are ever present in classrooms and around the school. Pupils are happy and settled. They feel safe. Pupils celebrate the care that staff give them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils. The curriculum and wider offer focus on pupils having the skills and knowledge to be ready for their next steps. Pupils achieve well. They rise to the challenges that the school sets for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school knows the community it serves well. Pupils benefit from a rich range of experiences that enhance the curriculum. Carefully considered school visits bring the curriculum to life. Pupils enjoy talking about the different opportunities the school gives them, from visits to the town library to using the ‘Metro’ transport system to visit museums in Newcastle. The school’s ‘Ozzie 80’ list ensures that all pupils benefit from key events and opportunities beyond academic learning.

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

The school has mapped out its curriculum carefully. Pupils gain the key skills and knowledge needed for their next stages in learning. This starts in early years and continues throughout the school. Expectations for what pupils know, remember and are able to do are high. The school links some subjects thoughtfully in order to strengthen and embed pupils’ understanding. For example, the genres that pupils study in music are also incorporated into dance lessons in physical education. The school clearly outlines the progression pupils are expected to make in each subject, such as history and mathematics. Additionally, in music, the school carefully balances opportunities for pupils to appraise, compose and perform music in each year group.

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

The school has considered carefully how all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn alongside their peers effectively. The school supports pupils with SEND well, providing bespoke adaptations that meet pupils’ needs. The school provides staff with the right specific training to support pupils with SEND effectively.

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

The school has recently changed its approaches to how the curriculum is taught. There is some variation in how these changes are implemented in the classroom. In some subjects, teaching activities and resources are not yet fully aligned with the school’s vision for those subjects.

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

Pupils make a flying start to learning to read. In early years, children engage well in phonics lessons. They are eager to share the sounds they know. Pupils are supported by skilled staff. Pupils at the early stages of reading are proud to read and talk about the books they enjoy. This extends to older pupils, who talk enthusiastically about favourite books and authors as well as the opportunities to read that the school provides. 24 and 25 September 2024

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Across the school day, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. The youngest children in Reception Year are eager to do well. They know the school’s expectations and follow key routines effortlessly. There are clear rewards and consequences for pupils. Pupils explain with clarity how these work. They show pride when they are awarded ‘Ozzie stars.’

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Pupils benefit from a well-sequenced personal, social and health education offer. It is well connected to wider opportunities and experiences the school offers beyond the classroom. This starts in early years and continues through to Year 6. The school broadens pupils’ horizons. For example, ‘Aspiration day’ showcases various careers. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe in the community and online. Specialist workshops linked to rail and water safety equip pupils with the knowledge to stay safe in the local community. Pupils take pride in their leadership roles. They celebrate their roles as Year 6 buddies to Reception Year children or as members of the Christian council. Pupils are aware of British values. The school is committed to helping them develop a deep understanding of these values.

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Staff are proud to work here. They benefit from leaders who plan purposeful professional development. Leaders encourage staff to develop their expertise effectively. This results in staff working collaboratively across the curriculum. The members of the newly established governing body are well skilled to fulfil their responsibilities. However, their strategic oversight of the school’s work is not yet fully embedded.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Learning tasks and activities are not consistently well matched to the school’s intentions for the curriculum. Some pupils are not well supported to learn the key knowledge and skills the school intends them to. The school must ensure that it carefully monitors the impact of the changes it has made to ensure that pupils are benefiting consistently from changes in practice.  The governing body is new and does not have a detailed understanding of the school’s work. Opportunities to hold leaders to account are not embedded. Governors should continue to develop their knowledge of the school so they can hold leaders fully to account for the school’s performance in all areas. 24 and 25 September 2024

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Helen Smith (executive headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has an executive headteacher, who is headteacher at Bede Burn Primary School.  The school is a member of the Church of England Diocese of Durham and has a Christian character.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was in October 2017. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years.  The school offers a breakfast club and wraparound care after school. This is overseen by the school.  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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 24 and 25 September 2024

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  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 spoke with the executive headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the teaching and learning lead and subject leads as part of the inspection.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and music. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons and spoke to teachers and teaching assistants. They spoke to pupils about

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their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors listened to pupils read with a familiar adult.  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.  Inspectors gathered the 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 staff. Pupils’ views were considered through a pupil survey and through meetings with pupils.  Inspectors spoke with representatives from the governing body, the diocese, those responsible for school improvement and the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classes, at breakfast club, during breaktimes

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Inspection team

Emily Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Debra Murphy Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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