Monkton Infants' School

Inspection of Monkton Infants' School St Simon Street, South Shields, Tyne and Wear NE34 9SD

p.1

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

p.1

The headteacher of this school is Clare Askwith. This school is part of Monkton Infant School, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of governors, chaired by Clair Owens. 8 and 9 October 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a nurturing and caring environment where pupils feel safe, happy and are keen to learn. There are high expectations for all pupils’ achievement. Pupils meet the high expectations set by staff. They work hard and behave well. Pupils show respect and consider the feelings of others. Pupils cheerfully work together in collaboration and help others wherever they can. They know the importance of being a good friend.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that staff care about them. They respect their teachers and appreciate that they make learning fun. Professional relationships between staff and pupils are highly positive. Well-trained staff keep pupils safe. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They learn about potential local dangers, such as staying safe when using public transport.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

A free breakfast club allows pupils to have a healthy breakfast in a calm and relaxed environment. Pupils appreciate the 'soft start' to the school day, where some pupils arrive early. They particularly enjoy meeting Rosie, the school dog. These initiatives help pupils to settle and be ready to learn.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to take on extra responsibilities such as playground buddies, milk monitors and school council members. Pupils learn how to care for and support their friends.

p.2

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

The school provides a curriculum that is purposeful and ambitious. It identifies the knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need to know and remember. There are opportunities to revisit learning regularly. This helps pupils to build securely on important skills and knowledge over time. As a result, pupils can talk about their learning with confidence.

p.2

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

The school aims to foster a life-long love of reading. This begins from the moment children start school in the two-year-olds provision. Children enjoy listening to stories, songs and rhymes. The school’s early reading programme has strengthened in recent years. Children have many opportunities to recognise and practise the sounds that they need to learn. The books children read match the sounds that they know. As a result, children master phonics and go on to become successful readers. The school provides children who fall behind in reading with appropriate and timely support. This is effective in enabling them to develop their reading fluency and catch up quickly.

p.2

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

There is a well-sequenced and progressive mathematics curriculum. The early years provision is number rich. There are regular opportunities for children to practise their number skills independently. Adults support pupils with practising their number skills through the thoughtful questions they ask them. As pupils progress through the school’s curriculum, they continue to strongly develop their number and calculation skills. The school gives pupils lots of opportunities to apply their arithmetic to help them solve problems. This helps pupils to become confident mathematicians. 8 and 9 October 2024

p.2

3

The school has helpful systems in place to check what pupils know and to identify any gaps in their knowledge. The school uses this information well to secure pupils’ understanding across the curriculum. It is also used to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, on occasions, identification is not as swift or accurate as it could be. At times, the targets for some pupils with SEND are not precise enough. This hampers the timeliness of support for these pupils.

p.3

3

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. The school has an expert understanding of how young children learn. There are well-established induction arrangements that help children to settle quickly. The school has thoughtfully planned and sequenced the early years curriculum. Classrooms are well-resourced. The school encourages children to manage their emotions and to become independent learners. This ensures that children are ready for Year 1.

p.3

3

The school places a high priority on pupils’ personal development. Pastoral support is a strength. The school successfully supports pupils to build their resilience, independence and confidence. Pupils are taught to value difference and know the importance of mutual respect. Pupils respect others and say that everyone is welcome at their school. The school curriculum ensures that pupils have a range of opportunities to understand the world around them. Regular visits enhance the curriculum. Across school, pupils behave well. They have a positive attitude to learning and work hard in order to succeed.

p.3

3

The school acts with determination to improve attendance. It is valued and celebrated. The school supports families to promote good attendance. However, persistent absence remains high. Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. These pupils continue to miss out on essential learning.

p.3

3

Those responsible for governance provide effective support and challenge for the school. They fulfil their statutory duties diligently. Leaders are considerate of staff well-being. Staff are proud to work at the school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are sometimes delays in identifying pupils with SEND. At times, targets within support plans do not align with enough precision to identified needs. This means that, on a few occasions, the tailored support for some pupils with SEND does not give them the help they need to achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that 8 and 9 October 2024

p.3

4

pupils with additional needs are always swiftly identified and that their targets are precisely matched to their needs.  The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is higher than the national average. This means that some pupils regularly miss out on essential learning. This is restricting some pupils from achieving well. The school should ensure its work with families successfully helps pupils to improve their attendance.

p.4

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.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 8 and 9 October 2024

p.4

School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 26 and 27 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school has provision for two-year-olds in the Nursery. This Nursery operates from a separate premises at Bainbridge Avenue, South Shields, Tyne and Wear NE34 9QS.  The school offers a free breakfast club.  The school uses no alternative provision.

p.5

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; leadership and management and for early years provision. Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 8 and 9 October 2024

p.5

6

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other school leaders. They also talked with the school improvement partner and members of the governing board, including the chair of governors.  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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and

p.6

6

history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum by reviewing curriculum documents and looking at samples of pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed school documentation, spoke to staff with different responsibilities and had discussions with pupils about aspects of school life.  The inspector reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s parent surveys, Parent View, and spoke with a range of staff and pupils. Inspectors also considered the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Alison Stephenson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Chris Story Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 October 2024

p.6

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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

p.7

7

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

p.7