Copeland Road Primary School

Inspection of Copeland Road Primary School West Auckland, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 9JJ

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be a part of Copeland Road Primary School. They are happy and safe. The school values, known as ‘Gem Powers’, are important to staff and pupils. These help pupils to treat others with kindness and respect. This has helped to create an inclusive and welcoming school environment. Pupils throughout the school are motivated by the school’s reward system. The recognition and the daily positive interactions that this provides motivate pupils to try their best in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The newly formed leadership team has introduced several positive curriculum developments in school. However, it is too soon for the school’s actions to have impacted fully. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are not achieving well enough. They are not well prepared for their next stage in learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes good attendance and punctuality a priority. The systems and support offered to families to promote good attendance are having a positive impact. Pupils are keen to attend school regularly and on time.

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

The newly formed leadership team has written a broad and ambitious curriculum. However, at present, how the school has implemented the curriculum lacks consistency, particularly in core subjects. Misconceptions and errors are not addressed promptly. As a result, pupils develop gaps in their knowledge. This stops them from building their learning over time. The school has introduced new initiatives such as ‘flashback Friday’ and ‘locked in learning’ to help pupils recall and remember what they have been taught. However, pupils do not currently achieve as well as they could. This is reflected in the school’s published outcomes.

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

This is an inclusive school. All pupils, including those with SEND, are involved in the life of the school. The school provides interventions and support for pupils who need it. These help pupils to access their learning. However, sometimes these are not timely or effective enough. At times, the school takes too long to intervene when pupils show signs of falling behind. This contributes to pupils with SEND not achieving as well as they should.

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

Reading is a priority. Pupils enjoy reading in this school. They remember the stories their teachers read to them. Children begin learning to read as soon as they start Reception. Staff provide regular opportunities for children to practise phonics throughout the day. The school has developed staff and support mechanisms to improve pupils’ reading fluency and achievement. However, the school does not use the information it gathers about pupils’ reading knowledge quickly and effectively enough to shape future learning and help pupils catch up.

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

The early years provision is a strength of the school. The school prioritises children’s social and emotional development. As a result, children quickly settle into the routines and expectations of school. Children in Reception benefit from the carefully designed 24 and 25 September 2024

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curriculum that focuses on developing their communication, early reading and mathematics skills. There are well-planned high-quality interactions between staff and children. The school has skilfully shaped the day to meet the needs of pupils, for example by starting the day with movement time to build their large-muscle strength.

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Behaviour in school is good. The well-established behaviour expectations are consistently applied by all staff. Pupils understand these expectations well and enjoy being rewarded with ‘green cards’ by staff and their friends. Bullying is not an issue. Pupils are confident that staff will deal with any poor behaviour quickly.

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The school develops pupils’ character well. They focus on a different ‘Gem Power’ each week. This gives pupils ample time to reflect and develop skills such as resilience, independence, collaboration and sharing. Pupils value the opportunities the school provides. The school engages with the community and well-chosen visitors to support pupils’ learning about British values and equalities. Pupils remember their learning from their personal, social and health education lessons. This develops their confidence, for example, in challenging stereotypes.

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The newly formed leadership team is ambitious for learners. However, the school does not have sufficient focus on ensuring that curriculum improvements have an impact on pupils’ outcomes. The governing body understands its statutory duties. Governors are supportive of leaders but do not challenge leaders enough to improve pupils’ achievement, especially those pupils who are disadvantaged or those with SEND.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Too often, pupils’ misconceptions and gaps in knowledge are not identified or addressed by the school. As a result, pupils do not achieve well enough. The school must address gaps and misconceptions in learning more quickly, so that all pupils are supported to achieve well.  The school does not check what pupils know and remember over time effectively. This means that staff do not have an accurate picture of what pupils know and can do. The school should ensure the information they gather about pupils’ knowledge is used effectively to inform pupils’ future learning.  There is not enough strategic oversight or a sharp enough focus on improving pupils’ achievement and preparation for their next stage of learning. This is slowing the improvement journey of the school and hindering pupils’ progress. Leaders and governors need to develop a sharper focus on evaluating the impact of recent curriculum changes, particularly in core subjects like reading and mathematics, so that

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they can prioritise those changes that will have a positive impact on pupils’ achievement.

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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

Date of previous inspection 6 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The new leadership team was formed in April 2024.  The school offers a breakfast club and after-school childcare.  The school uses one registered alternative education provider.

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Information about this inspection

 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke to senior leaders, including members of the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the 24 and 25 September 2024

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors listened to pupils read from different year groups.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, governors 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 analysed the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. They reviewed the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Georgina Chinaka, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nikkie Godbold 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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