Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Joanna Lamb Executive Headteacher Churchill Community College Churchill Street Wallsend Tyne and Wear NE28 7TN

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Churchill Community College

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 28 and 29 January 2025, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require special measures following the graded (section 5) inspection that took place in January 2024.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Churchill Community College

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s key and (where applicable) provision judgements, but to identify and report on the school’s progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school’s previous graded inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Churchill Community College

During the inspection, Geoff Lumsden, Ofsted Inspector (OI), and I discussed with you, other executive trust leaders, senior leaders, governors and the local authority the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also spoke to staff and pupils formally and informally, visited lessons, visited social time and considered the effectiveness of learning plans for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In addition, we reviewed paperwork, including the school improvement plan and governors’ minutes. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to no longer be judged as requiring special measures.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

HMCI is of the opinion that the school may appoint early career teachers.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Since the last inspection, there has been significant change at the school. North East Learning Trust (NELT) is supporting the school. This is through a service level agreement with the local authority. NELT staff are now working in the school. This includes you, your senior deputy headteacher and other strategic support staff. In addition, the local authority identified significant structural issues in the building last year. This led to a period of off-site and home learning for some pupils. Large parts of the school, including specialist facilities, are still out of use. You are still navigating the resulting curriculum constraints. This means some pupils are missing out on some important practical learning. However, you and your team have made the best use of what is available to you while you seek a long-term solution. During this inspection, we did not focus on the sixth-form provision. This is because more urgent action is required in other areas of the school.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school now has a clear and ambitious intent for the curriculum. A fully resourced, ambitious curriculum is in place. You have already tested the impact of the curriculum in other schools within NELT. Within the context of the building constraints, the curriculum is broad and ambitious. Pupils report that they enjoy their lessons. However, implementation of the curriculum remains inconsistent. You recognise that staff need further training to help implement the curriculum in the most effective way. This includes using questioning to check pupils’ understanding. Furthermore, there is too much variation in how pupils check and improve their written work.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. You have commissioned a trust review of provision for these pupils. This has helped you to create a comprehensive action plan. This plan is already underway. Learning plans for these pupils are increasingly effective. You are working towards your target of transferring all the old plans to the new format by the end of this term. In lessons, staff know pupils with SEND well. However, there is more to do to sharpen staff’s understanding of SEND. This includes their understanding of adaptive teaching strategies and knowledge of pupils’ particular needs. Your comprehensive professional development plan aims to address these shortcomings in the months ahead.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

You are using some of the well-established NELT reading strategies to develop pupils’ reading. These systems are now implemented across parts of the school. You have identified the weakest readers in Year 7 and Year 8. Meticulous evaluation of pupils’ strengths and weaknesses in reading is complete. This results in impactful and precise intervention. Pupils are making improved progress in their fluency and confidence with reading. You are upskilling teaching assistants to deliver these packages of support. You have clear plans to roll out the programme across the school. You also intend to build a love of reading in the school over time.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Your improvement plans are fit for purpose and include measurable outcomes and milestones. You are aiming for long-term sustainable change as you seek to transform the school. There are signs that the behaviour and attitudes of pupils are improving. In lessons, pupils are largely calm and compliant. When disruption does occur, staff consistently apply the revamped behaviour policy. However, pupils, parents and carers still raise concerns about behaviour in school. In addition, rates of suspension and permanent exclusion are high. You are aware of this and have plans in place to address it. You are building a comprehensive programme of intervention and support around the use of consequences. This aims to change the culture over time and therefore reduce exclusions.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

For almost all pupil groups, attendance is improving from a low starting point. You have taken the best practices from NELT schools. You now have effective attendance strategies in place. Absence and persistent absence are still above average but are improving. Pupils with SEND miss school more often than their peers. You have addressed this by appointing a member of staff to focus on these pupils exclusively. This is an example of your strategic approach to attendance and staff deployment. You make sure support is directed where it is needed most.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Your improvement plans focus on the areas identified from the last inspection. For example, you are enhancing pupils’ personal development. Pupils have weekly lessons from the trust’s ‘World Ready’ programme. This provision is much improved. Pupils talked to us about their learning in this subject. They say the topics are age-appropriate and teach them important knowledge for life. This includes students in the sixth form. However, too many pupils still hear discriminatory language around the school. Curriculum changes need more time to impact on the wider culture in the school.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Since the last inspection, you have disbanded the local governing body. An interim executive board (IEB) is now in place. The IEB consists of skilled and knowledgeable governors. The board provides effective support and challenge to the school. It meets regularly. It holds leaders at all levels to account to secure improvement in the school. The IEB has concerns about the current school buildings. It sees this as the school’s main barrier to success. The IEB remains committed to supporting the school community for as long as necessary. A representative from the local authority sits on the IEB.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Some parents remain unhappy with the school’s performance. They raise concerns about a variety of issues, including behaviour and communication. The school is starting to address these issues. For instance, the school holds information evenings for parents. It also provides opportunities for them to come in and meet with staff. The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Some parents consider the recent changes to be too strict. Others, however, express delight with the recent improvements. Most staff are proud to work at the school. They speak positively about the sense of purpose the school now has. Staff know that their workload and well-being are a consideration. They appreciate the introduction of the fully resourced curriculum.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The arrangements for safeguarding in the school are effective. You have taken urgent steps to improve the safety of the school buildings. Communication has also improved between different pastoral staff in school. For instance, staff responsible for attendance now work more closely with safeguarding leaders. Safer recruitment and safeguarding training are high priorities for everyone. In conclusion, NELT’s support has brought much-needed capacity to the school. Systems and structures are now in place to support your long-term improvement strategy. Trust and school leaders, along with governors, are bringing about change. You are in the early stages of this improvement journey, but initial signs are positive.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

I am copying this letter to the chair of the IEB, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for North Tyneside. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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