Coquet Park First School

Inspection of Coquet Park First School The Links, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear NE26 1TQ

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness 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 February 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 1 and 2 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Coquet Park First is an exceptional school. Leaders, staff, governors and the local authority unite in their pursuit of excellence in all areas of the school’s work. Consequently, pupils achieve the best possible outcomes in their learning and wider development. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are exemplary.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of ‘achieve, believe and enjoy’ are realised fully. Pupils are proud to be members of their happy school community. They claim confidently, ‘We can be who we want to be and we shouldn’t listen to people who say that we can’t.’ The impressive array of visitors to the school supports these high aspirations. Authors, an Olympian, an astrophysicist, artists and engineers bring the world beyond school into the classroom. The additional events and activities that the school plans to support the delivery of the curriculum are remarkable. There is never a dull day at Coquet Park.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in their successes. For example, pupils are proud of their eco-work and the difference that they are making to the world. They also continue the traditions of the school with honour. For example, the annual traditional maypole dances are a highlight of the school year.

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

There is no room for complacency at this school. All adults strive consistently for better for their pupils and build on the exceptional offer that pupils receive. The curriculum has been developed with great care. Staff work together to share their expertise to ensure a seamless learning journey for pupils. This stretches from the very beginning of the early years provision to pupils’ transition to middle school.

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

Expert teaching ensures that pupils build consistently on their prior learning. Carefully planned opportunities for pupils to recall previous knowledge ensure a solid foundation for new learning. For example, children learn about the life cycle of frogs in Nursery, investigating the frogspawn in the woodland area pond. They use scientific vocabulary confidently, such as tadpole and froglet. Children in Reception then learn about the life cycle of birds. Key stage 1 pupils subsequently relate this to their own life story as humans. The highly effective teaching of the well-sequenced curriculum enables pupils to learn a vast body of knowledge and vocabulary as they move through the school.

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

Pupils achieve high standards across the full curriculum. They achieve very highly in the Year 4 multiplication test, but pupils’ knowledge of number facts extends far beyond this. Careful checks are made to ensure that pupils remember key number facts right from the early years. Where gaps in learning are found, staff ensure that pupils receive the support or extra practice they need to catch up.

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

Pupils leave Coquet Park as confident, avid readers. Lessons are designed skilfully to ensure that pupils develop their expression and fluency extremely well. This work is underpinned by the school’s highly effective teaching of phonics. Skilled adults make sure that the youngest children learn to read as soon as they can. If any child falls behind, 1 and 2 April 2025

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swift and effective support is put in place. As a result, pupils learn to read rapidly and are well prepared for key stage 2.

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The identification of needs and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is highly effective. This ensures that, wherever possible, pupils with SEND experience the same high-quality curriculum offer as their peers. Therefore, achievement for all groups of pupils in the school is high.

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During their time in school, pupils’ character is shaped expertly through the school’s identified ‘learning powers’. Pupils demonstrate their resilience, resourcefulness and reflectiveness across the school day. The learning power of ‘relationships’ is seen in the warm interactions between pupils and staff. Staff set the calm and respectful tone of the school and pupils live up to this expectation. The oldest pupils are wonderful role models for the youngest children. They enjoy being ‘reading buddies’ with their Nursery class friends. The strong approach to social and emotional development in early years sets children up for success as they move through the rest of the school. This, and the many pupil leadership roles, such as playground buddies and sports ambassadors, contributes to the exemplary behaviour of pupils at the school.

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The school has developed a wide range of interesting clubs, such as lacrosse, ‘clippy mat club’ and allotment club, which pupils and parents appreciate greatly. The school engages effectively with parents, who rightly are very positive about the excellent academic offer provided for their children. The value that pupils and their parents place on the educational experience at Coquet Park is reflected in pupils’ very high attendance.

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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. 1 and 2 April 2025

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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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 February 2014, 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.

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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.  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. 1 and 2 April 2025

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, design and technology and science. 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 also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects, including religious education and writing. Inspectors also reviewed a sample of pupils’ writing books.  The inspectors considered the responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including the free-text responses. The inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire and also met with staff to discuss their workload and well-being. The inspectors spoke to several parents during the inspection.  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.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher, subject and phase leaders, the governing body and a representative from the local authority.

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Inspection team

Mark Dent, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ailsa Taylor Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 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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