Biddick Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Biddick Primary School Kirkham, Biddick Village, Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 7HQ

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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Outcome

Biddick Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this happy school. Staff do all that they can to make sure pupils are nurtured to be the best version of themselves. Pupils respond positively to the endless support they receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ learning. Pupils meet these expectations and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Playtimes are lively events. Older pupils are proud of the contribution they make to organise daily activities, which cater for all interests. From the re-creation of Anderson shelters in the den building area to rickshaw rides around the bicycle track, there really is something for everyone.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave impeccably. They are respectful of each other and demonstrate excellent attitudes to their learning. They listen carefully and respond positively to their teachers. They are a delight to talk to. This is key to the harmony of the school.

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

The school has worked with determination to redesign its curriculum to account for mixed-aged classes. The curriculum is well planned across all subjects. Key knowledge and skills are mapped across a two-year period. This enables pupils’ knowledge to build step by step. Learning activities consistently engage and excite pupils’ interest in their learning.

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

The impact of the school’s curriculum can be seen in pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2. Pupils’ attainment at the expected standard is consistently above the national 19 and 20 November 2024

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average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ outcomes at the higher standard are much more variable. This is because in some subjects, planned activities do not provide pupils with opportunities to use and apply their knowledge and think more deeply about their learning as consistently as leaders intend. For example, in science, pupils engage in an array of practical activities. However, opportunities to apply their knowledge to draw conclusions and evaluate investigations are much less frequent. The school rightly identifies this as the next step of its curriculum development.

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The school prioritises reading. Its efforts to instil a love of reading in pupils is paying dividends. In discussion, pupils showed a developing and increasingly sophisticated understanding of genre and authorial style. Older pupils spoke with enthusiasm about their study of the plays of Shakespeare. They are eagerly awaiting reading more of his plays.

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The teaching of early reading is highly effective. Pupils quickly acquire a secure understanding of the sounds that letters make. Their outcomes in the phonics screening check are consistently above national averages. Pupils practise their reading with books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge. Any pupils not heard to read regularly at home receive extra support in school so that they can keep up. Aspects of the school’s phonics programme relating to early writing are more variable. Scaffolds to support pupils’ independent writing are sometimes removed too soon. Incorrect letter formation is not always picked up straight away. This slows some pupils’ progress in acquiring their early writing skills.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the school. The school is adept at identifying the needs of pupils’ with SEND early. Curriculum adaptations enable pupils with SEND to learn successfully alongside their peers.

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. Warm relationships between adults and children are evident. Children learn quickly to work and play together well. Adults explain new ideas and give instructions with great clarity. Older children in the provision act as good role models for the youngest children.

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The school has established a rich and varied programme for pupils’ personal development. A raft of well-considered books and stories provide a useful stimulus for discussion and debate. There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to understand diversity in the school and wider community. Pupils relish the ‘50 opportunities’ that they can all experience. These help pupils to explore and ignite wider interests.

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The attendance rates of pupils have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The school is committed to tackling this. It is drawing on the latest guidance to help it to do so. Improvements are starting to be seen.

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Not only do pupils thrive in this delightful school but so do staff. They value the school’s investment in their training and development, and the support they draw from each other. This provides the bedrock of this wonderfully supportive school. 19 and 20 November 2024

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Governors know the school well. They undertake their role with enthusiasm and commitment. They use their skills effectively to undertake dedicated governors’ roles effectively and offer high levels of support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, opportunities for pupils to use and apply their knowledge for more demanding activities are less consistent than the school intends. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they might at the higher standard. The school should strengthen this aspect of their curriculum development so that more pupils can achieve more highly and deepen their understanding of the subjects they study with greater consistency.  The teaching of encoding skills is not as effective as the teaching of decoding skills within some phonics lessons. Incorrect letter formation is not tackled swiftly and writing scaffolds are sometimes removed too soon. This means that some pupils do not acquire their early writing skills as well as they could. Leaders need to iron out the inconsistencies in this aspect of the early writing curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour, or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2019. 19 and 20 November 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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority the governing body

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School details

Website www.biddickprimary.sunderland.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school provides a breakfast club and after-school childcare provision, managed by the governing body.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and a selection of subject leaders. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 The inspector met with four members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors. A separate meeting was held with the school improvement partner from the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.

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Inspection team

Diane Buckle, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 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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