Setting

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

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Emma Webster Headteacher Silverdale School Langdale Gardens Howdon Wallsend Tyne and Wear NE28 0HG

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Silverdale School

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 1 and 2 October 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 April 2025.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Silverdale School

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 Silverdale School

During the inspection, Emily Stevens, His Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), and I discussed with you, 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 visited lessons, observed breaktimes and lunchtimes, met with staff, spoke to pupils, met with the school’s improvement partner and scrutinised documentation. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Silverdale School continues to require special measures. Leaders have made

insufficient progress to improve the school.

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The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be

considered again during any monitoring inspection we carry out.

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The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be

The school should take further action to:

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The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be

 Work with the local authority, and those with responsibility for governance, to build capacity to bring about the necessary and immediate changes that are required to improve the school and ensure that pupils are safe.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced some changes in staff. New leaders have been appointed to the school. Some staff are currently absent. During this inspection, inspectors focused on the actions taken by the school to address weaknesses in safeguarding and in supporting pupils’ behaviour and attitudes identified at the most recent graded inspection.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Leaders have prioritised the improvement of the school’s strategies to support pupils’ behaviour and attitudes and the effectiveness of safeguarding. Actions to support pupils’ behaviour are at an early stage. The school now ensures that pupils relinquish their mobile phones when they arrive on site. This has contributed to reduced disruption during the school day. Relationships between staff and pupils are generally positive. During the inspection, pupils who spoke to inspectors said that they feel safe and cared for in school. They know that they can go to their link worker or other members of staff if they have a concern. The school has begun to address pupils’ swearing and challenging behaviour. However, some pupils continue to use inappropriate language when speaking to staff. This is usually effectively addressed by staff.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective. The school has provided training to staff to support them in their work to safeguard pupils. However, the school does not provide opportunities for staff to reflect on what they have learned. As a consequence, staff have a limited understanding of the risks that pupils may encounter and the signs that could indicate a pupil is at risk of harm. Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance, have not fully considered or addressed routine parts of the school day that put pupils’ safety at risk. The school does not ensure that risks to pupils’ safety are appropriately mitigated. At the time of the inspection, some checks on staff to ensure that they are suitable to work with children had not been completed and/or recorded accurately. Leaders do not routinely check that this information is gathered and recorded in line with current statutory guidance. By the end of the inspection, these omissions had

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has received some support from the local authority. This has included a review of the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Additionally, the school has used the services of a contracted school improvement adviser. The impact of support provided to the school has been hampered, in part, by the school’s lack of capacity to act on recommendations to make the improvements required. The school does not have a clear understanding of how support provided by the local authority will lead to it making the necessary and urgent improvements required.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Some pupils are not supported well enough to engage fully in their learning. They sometimes choose to leave the classroom during lessons and spend time in corridors. As a result, they miss important learning opportunities and can disrupt others. Until recently, the school did not analyse information regarding behaviour incidents. Consequently, it has not identified patterns of behaviour for individual or groups of pupils. This has prevented the school from consistently and accurately identifying and supporting pupils’ needs. Work is at the early stages to address this.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has reviewed its approach to managing classes during periods of staff absence. No classes have been closed to pupils since the previous inspection. The school uses external supply staff as part of its arrangements to cover lessons. While this enables pupils to remain in school, there are some tasks, such as the recording of behaviour incidents, that supply staff do not complete. Instead, school staff complete these tasks, which adds to their workload.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has established suitable procedures to respond promptly to any pupil absence. Leaders and staff have clarity on how absences should be followed up and take appropriate action where necessary. Patterns of attendance for individual pupils are now more commonly understood by the school than they were previously. The school is beginning to take appropriate action to support some pupils back to education. However, it remains the case that too many pupils are severely absent and miss out on important learning.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The school has identified actions to address the areas for improvement from the most recent inspection. However, leaders do not routinely check that these actions are having the intended impact. Several factors, including high levels of staff absence and issues relating to finance and management of the site, have diverted leaders’ attention from the strategic improvement of the school. The school continues to lack the capacity to make the necessary and urgent changes required.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of governors, 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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