Throckley Primary School

Inspection of Throckley Primary School Hexham Road, Throckley, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE15 9DY

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding

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

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The co-headteachers of this school are Lynsey Giblin and Julia Brown. This school is part of ONE (Owl North East) Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Julie Stuart, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Helen Linda Richardson.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Throckley Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Throckley Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of everything and thrive at this welcoming and highly inclusive school. Pupils achieve well, and staff are relentless in ensuring that pupils reach their full potential. Pupils talk about their learning with excitement and confidence. There is a culture of kindness and mutual respect, and pupils are well cared for and nurtured. As a result, pupils feel safe and happy. The ‘Throckley Values’ of pride, success, teamwork, respect, caring and learning are felt across school and underpin everything that the school does.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is exceptional. Right from when children begin in the school’s early years, routines and expectations are taught, embedded and consistently applied. Pupils are polite, supportive of each other and love coming to school. The school has very positive relationships with families and the wider community. Parents and carers speak highly of the school and value the work it does.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupil voice is integral to this school. Pupils are involved in decision-making and make a positive contribution to the running of the school. They embrace leadership opportunities and are proud to be eco-warriors and diversity councillors.

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

The curriculum offer is exceptional, highly ambitious and builds from the early years. Across all subjects, the school has identified the precise skills, knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn and remember. Any gaps in learning are quickly identified to support pupils to catch up with their peers. Lessons build on what the pupils already know, which ensures meaningful connections are made and knowledge deepens over time. Leaders’ careful attention to the curriculum ensures that pupils make strong progress.

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

Staff are subject experts. They use their expertise to ensure pupils consistently produce high-quality work. Staff take advantage of professional development opportunities in the school and beyond to develop their practice. In subjects such as history and geography, learning is brought to life through exploration of the local area and educational visits. Mathematics is expertly taught. In the early years, children are exposed to the concept of number through the use of books, songs and practical activities in the indoor and outdoor environment. Across school, teaching tasks are used to check understanding and inform next steps.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive at this school and benefit from exceptional support. Lessons are expertly adapted to meet the individual needs of all pupils and, as a result, pupils with SEND make strong progress and achieve well.

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

Reading is a priority. There is a clear, whole-school commitment to teaching every child to read. The teaching of phonics is precise and consistent. Books are well matched to the sounds pupils know, and they quickly become confident and fluent readers. Books are of 14 and 15 January 2025

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high quality and expose pupils to a wide range of authors, cultures and genres. Pupils read for pleasure and have a genuine love of reading. Pupils who find reading more difficult are swiftly supported to catch up.

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Right from the two-year-olds provision, children in the early years settle quickly and make strong progress from the start. The early years offer ensures that children love school and love to learn. Children are taught key skills and are then given the opportunity to apply these skills independently. For example, Reception-age children use their previous learning about ball skills in a mini game of football. The opportunities that children experience in early years prepare them well for their transition to Year 1.

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The high-quality curriculum for personal development is at the core of the school’s offer. The work to develop pupils’ character is exemplary. Pupils have a secure knowledge of protected characteristics and fundamental British values. Pupils learn about different religions, faiths and cultures. This promotes tolerance and respect. All pupils have the opportunity to visit many different places of worship. Pupils are active in their local area. They raise money for local charities and sing in the community. Pupils have the opportunity to attend a wide range of interesting extra-curricular clubs, including sport, yoga, music and performing arts. Leaders track participation in these activities and refine their offer to match pupils’ interests and talents. Pupils are confident about keeping themselves safe and about the possible risks that they might face outside of school.

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Leadership at all levels is highly effective. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school and feel their workload and well-being are a priority. Trustees and governors know the school exceptionally well and share the same high aspirations for the school and trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 14 and 15 January 2025

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Co-headteachers Lynsey Giblin and Julia Brown

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School details

Website www.throckleyprim.newcastle.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Throckley Primary School converted to become an academy in January 2024. When its predecessor school, Throckley Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding for overall effectiveness.  The school is part of ONE (Owl North East) Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision for its pupils.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.

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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. 14 and 15 January 2025

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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 this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed the curriculum offer for reading.  Inspectors met with the trust CEO and members of the board of trustees and of the local governing body.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors considered the views of pupils through meetings and at social times.  Inspectors considered the views of staff through meetings and through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Emma Watson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jill Bowe Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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