Central Walker Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Central Walker Church of England Primary School Lancefield Avenue, Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE6 2NP

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Outcome

Central Walker Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The co-headteachers of this school are Faye Kerr and Dawn Day. This school is part of NEAT 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, Debi Bailey, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anne McNall.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Central Walker Primary School are welcoming and friendly. They are proud of their school and are keen to talk to visitors. Pupils meet the school’s high expectations for conduct. They enjoy warm and supportive relationships with adults. Pupils trust adults to listen and help them with any worries or concerns they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. The atmosphere in classrooms and around the school is calm and purposeful. This starts in Nursery. Children respond well to the routines that are in place and grow in independence. Across the school, pupils are polite and well-mannered. They routinely follow the school rules. Pupils understand that staff expect them to do well. With the exception of mathematics where learning is not as secure as it could be, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a variety of enrichment activities. The school is ambitious that all pupils access a range of experiences. This is achieved through a targeted curriculum offer. Pupils make visits to places of interest and learn important life skills such as CPR. These are carefully planned to support and build on areas of the curriculum. For example, pupils visit a range of places of worship to develop their knowledge of religion. 7 and 8 January 2025

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious. It has been further developed and refined since the last inspection. The trust has supported this work. The curriculum sets out clearly what pupils will learn in each subject at each stage of their education. There is a focus on ensuring that pupils understand the skills that are unique to each curriculum area. For example, in science, lessons are carefully structured to enable pupils to build their understanding of working scientifically. Pupils build an understanding of variables through careful teacher guidance. Similarly, in art pupils build their understanding of texture through carefully planned activities which deepen their knowledge.

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

Teachers revisit prior learning before moving on to new concepts. They routinely check on what pupils know which helps them to effectively understand what pupils know and can do. This helps teachers to adapt the curriculum to fill any gaps in knowledge that become apparent in lessons. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in some gaps in pupils’ mathematical knowledge. The school has been quick to analyse why recent outcomes in mathematics were not as strong as expected. There has been a drive to address gaps that pupils have and this is beginning to have an impact. More pupils now achieve well in the Year 4 multiplication check as a result of a sharp focus on foundational knowledge. However, some pupils still do not achieve as well as they could in mathematics.

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

The school ensures that teaching every child to read is a priority. This work starts at the earliest opportunity. Children in Nursery enjoy spending time in the book corner and sharing songs and rhymes. In Reception children begin to have more formal phonics input every day. Regular checks ensure that children who need help are identified early. Pupils receive the help and support they need to catch up quickly. As a result, most pupils become fluent and confident readers. The school makes sure that teachers are well trained and know how to teach reading effectively.

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

The school knows pupils well. It works closely with parents and carers to ensure that staff identify pupils’ individual needs from when they start attending the school. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff provide support to pupils with SEND to ensure that their additional needs are met consistently and effectively.

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

Continuing to focus on attendance is a priority for the school. The school is working proactively with pupils and their families to remove barriers that prevent them attending well. For example, the breakfast club is helping pupils to get ready for the day and staff collect pupils in the school minibus to ensure they get into school. The attendance of some pupils with previous higher rates of absence is improving because of this.

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

The personal development programme has been designed to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils have a clear understanding that they should be respectful and tolerant to all. Pupils of various faiths and religions discuss their beliefs with each other. There are opportunities for pupils to be involved in many aspects of school life. School 7 and 8 January 2025

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councillors, playground buddies and eco warriors play an active role in improving the school. Pupils also enjoy taking part in community work; they sing in a local care home and complete work in the local park. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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The trust works closely with the school to make sure that everyone is working together in the best interests of children. Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to improve. Staff are positive about working at the school. They appreciate being part of a team where everybody is supportive of each other.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The mathematics curriculum is not implemented well enough. This means that some pupils have gaps in their mathematical knowledge and do not achieve as well as they should. The school should continue to enhance and further embed the mathematics curriculum to ensure that all pupils acquire the intended knowledge to be able to achieve well.

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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 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. 7 and 8 January 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Central Walker Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2014.

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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). 7 and 8 January 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There are co-headteachers at the school.  The school is a Church of England school. Its most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in November 2022. The next section 48 inspection should take place by the end of 2027.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 7 and 8 January 2025

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 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 of safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector met with the co-headteachers. They also spoke with a representative of the diocese and met with representatives from the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector met with the chief executive officer of the trust and with the chair of the trust board.  The inspector visited a number of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, attendance records, school development plans and school self-evaluation documents.  The inspector considered the views of parents through responses to the online survey,

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Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector gathered the views of staff through Ofsted’s staff survey, as well as discussions with staff and pupils conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jessica McKay, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 7 and 8 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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