North Fawdon Primary School

Inspection of North Fawdon Primary School Brotherlee Road, Fawdon, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE3 2SL

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 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

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Emma Elliott. This school is part of Smart Multi- Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Colin Lofthouse, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Charles Christie. 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

North Fawdon Primary School is a highly inclusive, welcoming school. It is at the heart of the local community and pupils feel safe, valued and happy. Most pupils achieve well. The school has an alternative resource provision called The Harbour. Pupils with additional needs thrive in the provision. They make good progress from their starting points. The school has exceptionally high mobility, which can prove to be a challenge. To support new pupils and families, the school has adopted an inclusive and nurturing ethos to school life. Parents and carers speak very highly of the school. They say the school really cares for their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school motto ‘Be Brave, Dream Big, Inspire Others,’ is a golden thread that runs through school life. This school is passionate about helping pupils become well rounded, empathetic citizens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

High expectations of behaviour are clear and consistently applied. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), demonstrate this in their excellent conduct and attitude to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides good pastoral support. Pupils say they have trusted adults to go to if they have any worries. Pupils consistently demonstrate respect for each other. The school works well with families to improve attendance. The work they are doing is beginning to have an impact.

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

The school is developing an ambitious curriculum. This begins from early years. The curriculum defines the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. The curriculum design shows how pupils acquire skills through working as a scientist or a historian. Pupils say they enjoy their learning. They talk about the experiments they are doing in science. They talk about some curriculum visits to ‘The Centre for Life’. However, checks of previous learning have not been embedded into all areas of the curriculum. As a result of this, pupils have limited recall of prior learning.

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

The mathematics curriculum is well sequenced from early years. Careful thought has been given to the exact knowledge pupils will learn. The curriculum design is having a positive impact on outcomes. The school places a strong focus on oracy, particularly in relation to writing. These strategies are implemented consistently from early years. This has had a positive impact on the quality of pupils’ writing.

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

The school has a focus on raising the profile of reading. There is a new library with a wide variety of books from different authors and cultures. Pupils say how much they enjoy the library and reading. The reading journey starts in early years. Children begin to learn sounds and vocabulary. The rest of the school follow the same phonics programme. Interventions are timely to close gaps. The ambition of the school is for all pupils to read fluently. Older readers read with accuracy and independence. They enjoy talking about the stories they have shared in class. However, in some phonics lessons, pupils do not 12 and 13 November 2024

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effectively recall their prior sounds before moving on. As a result, some pupils do not make as much progress as they could.

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In early years, children are well behaved and happy. They are considerate of each other. They take turns and share equipment. Some of the areas in the early years provision provide an exciting stimulus in which children can learn. In these areas, there are opportunities to develop language. Children acted out being witches in the role-play area and talked about making spells. In other areas, there has not been consideration of the specific intended learning. In these areas, opportunities to develop rich vocabulary and language are limited. As a result, some children’s vocabulary is not enriched as well as it could be.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND swiftly and accurately. Staff make appropriate adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum. This meets SEND needs. Pupils with SEND learn successfully alongside their peers. Pupils in the resourced provision called The Harbour work alongside their year group during integrated times.

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The school is tenacious in improving attendance. There are robust policies and procedures in place. This ensures that pupils and their families receive appropriate support to improve their attendance. Pupils adhere to high expectations of behaviour. Incidents of poor behaviour are rare.

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The school provides opportunities for a range of visits and after-school activities. Pupils know how to keep themselves healthy. They understand what positive relationships are and how to keep safe online. Pupils have a good understanding of the fundamental British values. They can clearly explain tolerance and the rule of law. They understand how this impacts their everyday lives. Pupils have a good understanding of different faiths and related places of worship. Pupils feel they have a voice in school. They value the opportunities they have to lead and take part in wider activities. They say they enjoy the responsibility of being an ‘eco-warrior’ and ‘playground buddy’.

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Staff feel extremely supported by the leadership team. They enjoy coming to school and say they feel part of a bigger family. Staff feel that they are valued. The trust and the governing board are very robust. They hold the school to account with strategies for monitoring. The trust is instrumental in providing opportunities to share good practice. Staff appreciate the professional development that they have.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12 and 13 November 2024

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Information for the school and appropriate authority

 The school’s approaches for checking what pupils know and can do over time are not firmly established in all subjects. Where this is the case, this can sometimes affect how well pupils develop their knowledge. The school should ensure that staff have sufficient subject knowledge across the curriculum to check that pupils know and remember important concepts before moving on to the new content.  The teaching of phonics and fidelity to the scheme is not yet fully embedded. This means that some pupils do not have the phonics knowledge to build on and read fluently. The school should ensure that all staff have the expertise they require to teach phonics.  In the early years, provision for the development of vocabulary and understanding of language is not yet consistent. This means that there are missed opportunities for children to have effective interaction and communication with adults. The school should

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Information for the school and appropriate authority

ensure that all staff are clear as to the vocabulary to be developed to meet the children’s needs and promote effective learning.

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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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Website https://www.northfawdon.smartacademies. net Dates of previous inspection 5 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since 2019.  The school has The Harbour as an alternative provision on site, funded by the LEA, which currently has 8 KS2 pupils.  The school runs a breakfast club.

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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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 12 and 13 November 2024

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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 since 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, school staff, parents and pupils. The lead inspector met with the CEO of the trust, the chair of the trust, the chair of governors and trustees. The lead inspector also met with the school improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also met with the SEND coordinator and looked at SEND plans and

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education, health and care plans. The inspectors also looked at the provision for SEND pupils in the school and in the alternative resources provision.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took into account 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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime. In addition, inspectors met with pupils formally and informally to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Debra Murphy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nichola Irving Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 November 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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