Benton Park Primary School

Inspection of Benton Park Primary School Corchester Walk, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE7 7SS

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since June 2015 . Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 8 and 9 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this vibrant and welcoming school. They feel safe, valued and happy. The school has high academic expectations for pupils. These expectations are more than realised. Pupils enjoy learning and achieve well. They are confident, articulate and highly motivated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary. Pupils are extremely polite and respectful. The school has clear routines and behaviour approaches that are applied with unerring consistency. Pupils understand the expectations and respond to them superbly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s inclusive ethos is lived out each and every day. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from high levels of care and support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school supports pupils’ character development through the curriculum and a range of experiences. This includes building strong links with the community and collectively celebrating different religious festivals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils learn about water and fire safety. Pupils have a firm understanding of how to stay safe online. They talk confidently about strategies they use to protect themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders in the school are highly ambitious and committed. They are skilful when making changes to improve the school. The impact of their actions is evident in pupils’ development and success.

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

The school prioritises learning to read. This is a strength of the school. Staff receive regular training. This supports high-quality delivery. Pupils learn the sounds that make up words quickly. Any gaps in understanding are identified promptly. Extra support to address these gaps is both timely and targeted. Pupils practise reading using books that match their phonics knowledge. This supports accuracy and fluency development. The reading and writing curriculums are centred around high-quality books. This fosters a passionate love of reading.

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

Leaders have created and established a highly ambitious curriculum. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use it well to introduce new learning effectively. Pupils discuss their growing understanding regularly. This helps them link ideas and build on prior knowledge. Staff check what pupils understand routinely. Staff use this information to address any gaps in knowledge effectively. Pupils behave extremely well in lessons. They are highly focused on learning more across the curriculum. Pupils work well together and support each other to further develop their knowledge. As a result, pupils develop deep and complex understanding over time. This is evident in the quality of their verbal responses and written work. Pupils learn exceptionally well and produce very strong work across the curriculum. 8 and 9 April 2025

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The learning support for pupils with SEND is exemplary. Needs are identified early and accurately. Staff support pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum and achieve highly. The outdoor learning environment and the deaf resource base at the school provide carefully tailored support. Skilled adults adapt learning with precision. This has a clear and highly positive impact on pupils’ emotional and academic achievement.

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The school is committed to supporting pupils’ wider development. Pupils access a wide range of inclusive clubs, such as choir and Spanish. These help pupils explore and develop their talents and interests. Pupils take on leadership roles with pride. These include school councillors, reading ambassadors and digital leaders. These roles have meaningful impact on school life. Pupils develop confidence, resilience and teamwork skills through residential and outdoor learning opportunities. They learn about risk and safety through real-life experiences such as camping trips. Pupils learn about fundamental British values in assemblies. They demonstrate an understanding of fairness and acceptance of difference.

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Children in early years benefit from a clearly structured, ambitious curriculum. Daily routines revisit and reinforce learning. This helps children to develop their understanding. While the activities children complete are purposeful, at times interactions between adults and children are not as effective as they could be. This includes when staff are modelling language and questioning children to extend their understanding.

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Leadership is strong throughout the school. Leaders have a clear vision for the school. Their relentless focus on improving outcomes for pupils has led to sustained success. Leaders prioritise staff’s well-being and professional development. This is planned well and has had high impact. Staff feel empowered and supported. Leaders have created a kind and nurturing culture for all. Staff feel valued. Leaders monitor attendance rigorously and work closely with families to overcome barriers. As a result, attendance is strong and improving.

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Governors provide very strong strategic leadership. They know the school well and provide extremely effective challenge and support. This has contributed to the excellent school culture and high levels of pupil success.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some interactions from staff in the early years are not consistently effective. As a result, children do not always develop what they know as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff’s interactions are purposeful, skilfully extend learning and support children to develop their understanding as effectively as possible. 8 and 9 April 2025

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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). 8 and 9 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-chairs of governing body Jane Edminson and Filza Hashmi

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 June 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a breakfast club, overseen by the governing body.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school has a specially resourced provision for 12 pupils. The provision is for pupils with hearing impairment.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 8 and 9 April 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team met with the headteacher and members of the senior leadership team.  The inspection team met with representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, science 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.  The inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through their responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors spoke to staff and pupils during

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the inspection and took account of staff responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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

Andrew Yeomans, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Madden Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 April 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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