West Jesmond Primary School

Inspection of West Jesmond Primary School Tankerville Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE2 3AJ

p.1

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 7 and 8 May 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

West Jesmond is a jewel at the heart of its local community. Pupils benefit from a vibrant environment, a rich curriculum and many wider opportunities. This enables all pupils to flourish. The school has a palpable sense of ambition for everyone, determined to give ‘everyone the opportunity to feel clever every day’. Pupils rise to this challenge. They participate fully in all aspects of school life and achieve exceptionally well as a result.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. From the moment children start in the early years, they are taught to follow rules and routines and to listen well. This continues as pupils move through the school. They behave exceptionally well in lessons. They are polite and interact well with each other and staff alike. This behaviour is evident in classrooms, when moving around school, in those who attend breakfast club and at lunchtime and breaktime. Pupils’ attendance is high.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. Pupils are helped to keep up with the ambitious curriculum. High-quality teaching and timely support enable almost everyone to achieve exceptionally well. Standards are high and pupils achieve well above national expectations by the end of key stage 2.

p.2

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

The school has developed a broad and rich curriculum. Staff are experts in its delivery. The school has created and refined sequences of work, which enable pupils to know and remember more across the curriculum. Pupils apply their knowledge in a range of contexts. In subjects such as history and geography, pupils’ understanding of the national curriculum is interwoven carefully with learning about Newcastle and the wider North East region. This gives pupils, whatever their background, a sense of place and belonging. Pupils’ work across all subjects is of an exceptional standard.

p.2

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

The school has carefully considered and implemented its chosen phonics programme. It is taught consistently. Pupils receive opportunities to practise both the sounds they know and those they have just been taught. The school checks pupils’ understanding regularly. Pupils who need additional teaching receive high-quality, timely interventions to catch up as quickly as possible. A love of reading is fostered. Home reading books are well matched to pupils’ phonics understanding. Pupils talk enthusiastically about authors and class novels they enjoy reading.

p.2

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

Teachers share their knowledge well. They quickly and skilfully address any misconceptions pupils may have. In subjects such as physical education, teachers model correct techniques and allow pupils to master fundamental skills. In mathematics, teachers plan challenging activities that build on pupils’ prior knowledge. Teachers check what pupils have learned and make thoughtful adaptations to learning activities, where needed, to close any gaps in knowledge. The school assesses the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) carefully. These pupils benefit from the school’s strong inclusive practice and individual support. As a result, all pupils achieve well and pupils with SEND make excellent progress. 7 and 8 May 2025

p.2

3

In the early years, children get off to the best possible start. They learn how to sustain their concentration and become confident learners. Children take turns and work well with one another. They practise their early communication and language skills through rich conversations with adults and storytelling with one another. Additional support is planned carefully for those who need it.

p.3

3

The school’s offer for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. The programme draws together pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding with the very best academic and wider opportunities. As a result, pupils are able to respect differences, value one another and behave according to the ‘West Jesmond way’. Pupils are taught how to stay safe both online and in the local community. A vast array of enrichment opportunities exists. Pupils are given the opportunity before school to learn a foreign language, practise taekwondo or play cricket. Pupils experience life beyond school. They sing opera, visit local museums and display their artwork in places such as the local railway station. All groups of pupils are supported to take advantage of this wonderful offer.

p.3

3

Leaders at all levels have a distinct commitment to excellence. They astutely review all aspects of the school’s work. The governing body supports and challenges well. It knows the school very well. Staff both provide and receive regular training. They value this highly, and they feel that their workload and well-being are carefully considered. Staff are proud of the school. This sentiment is also held by parents and carers. They talk positively of their child’s experience of school and the start to life it gives them.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

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.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 7 and 8 May 2025

p.3

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). 7 and 8 May 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Jane Edminson and Laura Cordy (Co-chairs)

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The headteacher has been appointed since the last inspection.  The school uses two registered alternative provisions.  The school is part of the Ouseburn Learning Trust.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school provision.

p.5

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.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 7 and 8 May 2025

p.5

6

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken this into account in his evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other leaders and staff. The lead inspector met with representatives, including the co-chairs of the governing body. The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority and the school’s achievement partner. Inspectors spoke to both providers of alternative provision.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, physical education and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead

p.6

6

inspector also listened to pupils read with a familiar member of staff.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum and reviewed pupils’ work in some other curriculum subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, attendance records, pupil records, records of governing body meetings, school development plans and school self-evaluation documents.  The inspection team considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses, and conversations held during the inspection.

p.6

Inspection team

Paul Martindale, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Chris Horn Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 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