Spittal Community Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Spittal Community School Main Street, Spittal, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland TD15 1RD

p.1

Outcome

Spittal Community School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Spittal Community School are proud to be part of this caring village school. Strong and trusting relationships exist between families and staff. This helps to ensure that pupils receive the best care. Pupils are happy, safe and enjoy their time in school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are supportive of the school. The comment of one parent reflects that of many others, ‘This is a fantastic school, with amazing staff who are a huge support to the children.’

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve high standards. Pupils do their best to meet these high expectations. Overall, pupils achieve well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and around school is exemplary. They display positive attitudes towards their learning and make sensible choices in lessons and at social times. Friendships are strong across the school. Pupils are polite and good manners are the norm.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leadership responsibilities start in early years where children take care of their environment. Older pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities such as milk monitors, sports leaders and school councillors.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises opportunities beyond the classroom to help pupils to develop their wider personal skills. For example, pupils enjoy their regular visits to the beach where they learn to manage risks and keep safe. 20 May 2025

p.1

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

The school has a broad curriculum. In most subjects, careful thought is given to the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn. In these subjects, appropriate resources are used to develop pupils’ understanding and deepen their learning. However, in some subjects, the important content pupils need to learn and remember is not as clear. This means that in these subjects, lesson activities do not consistently match the intended learning as well as they could. As a result, pupils learning is not as secure as it could be across the breadth of the curriculum. Rightly, the school is continuing to focus on refining some aspects of its curriculum to ensure that pupils learn equally well across the breadth of the curriculum.

p.2

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

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. A love of reading starts successfully in the Nursery with simple rhymes and songs. Phonics and early reading are taught well. Regular checks are made on pupils’ progress. Any pupils who fall behind receive the additional support they need. Pupils practise reading using books that are closely matched to the sounds they have learned. Pupils learn to read well. Over time, they become confident, fluent readers.

p.2

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

There is a strong focus on developing children’s communication and language. This starts from the moment children join the Nursery. Children are taught new words to expand their vocabulary and help them to communicate well with others.

p.2

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

The mathematics curriculum is well sequenced. Children in the early years quickly master numbers. They explore different amounts using everyday objects. Older pupils build on this, for example through using their knowledge of times tables to solve mathematical problems. Teachers use their expert subject knowledge to address pupils’ misconceptions. Consequently, pupils progress well through the mathematics curriculum, building their knowledge and understanding effectively.

p.2

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

In the early years, children’s language, reading and social skills develop effectively from the Nursery into Reception Year. However, some children do not benefit from wider learning activities as well as they could. Occasionally, the learning environment and choice of activities do not support children to practise their learning or to develop new knowledge and skills. As a result, some children do not learn as well as they could.

p.2

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

Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Staff identify pupils’ needs without delay. The school makes good use of external expertise. Well targeted support helps pupils to access the curriculum alongside their peers. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

p.2

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

Leaders prioritise pupils’ well-being and personal development. Pupils enjoy a range of visits and engaging with visitors to the school. They develop tolerance and respect through learning about a range of cultures and different kinds of families. Pupils know how to eat healthily and maintain a healthy lifestyle. They benefit from a wide range of clubs and extra-curricular activities. 20 May 2025

p.2

3

Across the school, pupils behave exceptionally well. They support each other in their learning and treat those around them with kindness and respect. Most pupils attend school on a regular basis. Well-coordinated support for parents and, when needed, challenge, has had a positive impact on reducing absence rates. This particularly so for some pupils with previously high levels of persistent absence.

p.3

3

Staff are proud to work at the school. They praise the support they receive for their workload and well-being. The school provides a wide range of training opportunities for staff to broaden their skills and expertise.

p.3

3

Governors fulfil their statutory duties. All leaders are highly ambitious. They take effective actions to constantly refine and improve the performance of the school to give pupils the very best start to their education.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school is not clear enough about what it wants pupils to learn and remember. This means that staff to not have enough guidance about the most important knowledge they need to teach and emphasise. As a result, pupils are not building on previous learning as well as they could across the breadth of the curriculum. The school needs to continue its work to refine the curriculum and ensure that it is implemented in the way that leaders intend.  There are some inconsistencies in the early years provision. Some activities and opportunities within the learning environment do not help children to practise what they have learned and develop new knowledge and skills securely. This means that sometimes children do not learn as well as they could. The school needs to support staff to strengthen this aspect of its practice so that learning activities more consistently support children in developing their skills and knowledge

p.3

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 to be good for its overall effectiveness. 20 May 2025

p.3

4

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.

p.4

4

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2015.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 20 May 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Website www.spittal.northumberland.sch.uk

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school provides a breakfast club.  The school does not use alternative provision for its pupils.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation of the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection 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 inspectors spoke with the headteacher, along with a range of other staff. Meetings were held with representatives from the governing body and the school improvement partner from the local authority.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about their learning. 20 May 2025

p.5

6

 The inspectors considered a range of documents. These included safeguarding records, the school improvement plan and records for pupils with SEND.  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.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classes and at social times.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey, and staff survey. They also considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including any free- text comments.

p.6

Inspection team

Alison Stephenson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Christine Durand Ofsted Inspector 20 May 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7