Ivy Road Primary School

Ivy Road Primary School Ivy Road Primary School, Ivy Road, Forest Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE12 9AP

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inspection report:

At the most recent graded inspection, the following areas were identified as needing to improve:

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inspection report:

 Leaders have not been sufficiently rigorous in their appraisal of the school’s strengths and weaknesses since the previous inspection. The urgent improvements required have not been addressed swiftly enough. This means that pupils do not receive an acceptable standard of education. Currently, there is no capacity to improve matters. The school should ensure that there is capacity in the school to urgently identify and improve the significant weaknesses highlighted across the inspection, previously by the local authority, and in December 2022 during the school’s last inspection.  Teachers’ use of assessment does not identify and/or address gaps in pupils’ learning effectively. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they might otherwise be expected to. Too many pupils are not ready for the next stage of education. The school must ensure that staff use assessment consistently and effectively to identify and

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inspection report:

address gaps in pupils’ learning.  The curriculum, including the wider opportunities the school provides, does not develop pupils’ understanding of other cultures, faiths and religions sufficiently well. This means that pupils are not well prepared for life in modern Britain. The school should ensure that pupils’ understanding of other cultures, faiths and religions is strengthened effectively.  Some pupils exhibit disruptive behaviour. Learning is negatively affected by this disruptive behaviour and a small number of pupils occasionally feel unsafe as a result. The school must ensure that pupils receive appropriate direction and support to manage their behaviour effectively, minimising the disruption to learning that affects pupils’ concentration and, for some, how safe they feel in school.  A significant number of staff do not feel well supported around managing behaviour or their workload. Staff morale is low in some quarters. The school must engage

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inspection report:

effectively with staff to ensure that they feel supported and that their workload is manageable. Monitoring Inspection report: Ivy Road Primary School, 31 March 2026 2  The early years curriculum is not sufficiently well planned. The needs of children are not well met. This means that too few children are ready for their learning in key stage 1. The school must ensure that provision in early years is carefully planned to meet children’s needs so that more children are better prepared for learning in key stage 1.  Pupil premium funding is not used effectively to ensure improved achievement for disadvantaged pupils. The progress that disadvantaged pupils make in reading and mathematics is weak. The school must ensure that pupil premium funding is used effectively to meet disadvantaged pupils’ precise needs so that they achieve far more than they do currently in these subjects.

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the school but continued work is needed to remove the special measures

During the monitoring inspection, inspectors focused on the following evaluation areas:  Leadership and governance  Inclusion  Curriculum and teaching  Achievement  Attendance and behaviour  Early years

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Leadership and governance

Since the previous monitoring inspection in June 2025, leaders have taken appropriate steps to address the areas for improvement. The confirmation in January 2026 that Ivy Road Primary School will close in July 2026 has presented significant additional challenges. Despite this, remaining staff and leaders have continued to focus on improving the quality of education for pupils at Ivy Road.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders have been committed to continuing to make improvements against the backdrop of these challenging circumstances. Leaders and staff have demonstrated having children’s best interests at heart. While staffing and pupil numbers have added additional challenge, leaders have continued to engage with professional development and school improvement support to improve the quality of the curriculum and teaching. Leaders now have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and have demonstrated their capacity to make the necessary improvements.

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Leadership and governance

The school action plan, and leaders’ management of it, is effective. The interim executive board (IEB) has established sharp oversight of this. Leaders highly value the support and challenge from the IEB. The school has continued to work with the local authority to further strengthen the school improvement cycle.

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Leadership and governance

The school will be closing next term. Staff and leaders have continued to improve school standards and provide a better education for Ivy Road pupils. The staff team should be Monitoring Inspection report: Ivy Road Primary School, 31 March 2026 3 very proud of what they have achieved against the backdrop of an imminent school closure.

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Safeguarding

At the previous monitoring inspection, safeguarding was evaluated as being effective. Leaders have maintained these standards.

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Inclusion

Leaders and staff are suitably focussed on the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Pupil premium funding is used appropriately to provide additional teaching, opportunities and pastoral support for the most disadvantaged pupils. The school knows its families well and provides practical support for the challenges their disadvantaged pupils face.

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Curriculum and teaching

There have been continued improvements to the school’s curriculum across all subjects. The school has now embedded the improvements to the curriculum, ensuring that pupils benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum. Staff have engaged with subject curriculum leadership development and opportunities to develop their subject expertise. In most lessons, this has strengthened how teachers deepen pupils’ understanding in lessons and maximise opportunities to address any misconceptions they may have. A significant proportion of older pupils still have historical gaps in their knowledge and skills from previous curriculum weaknesses. These are not consistently addressed in their work, particularly in writing.

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Curriculum and teaching

Leaders are aware there are still improvements to be made in the curriculum and teaching. Leaders have improved their oversight of the quality of teaching and progress for pupils. However, there remains additional work to do regarding adaptive teaching, effective use of assessment and addressing gaps in pupils’ basic knowledge and skills. In some lessons, pupils who need adaptations or additional support in lessons do not receive this. The school has made improvements in using assessment effectively and to inform future teaching. There remains further work to do to ensure this is well embedded across the school.

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Curriculum and teaching

Pupils are now taught about a range of faiths, cultures and religions. The religious education curriculum allows meaningful opportunities for pupils to learn about, discuss and reflect on a range of beliefs. In assemblies, pupils are taught about kindness and respect. They are also learning about different religious festivals in assemblies. This is helping them to have respectful conversations. Pupils struggle to talk with any depth about British values or equalities, but they have been taught to treat others fairly.

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Achievement

In 2025, pupils at Ivy Road performed better in national tests than they have in previous years. More pupils than before achieved the expected standard in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2. Pupils are now better prepared for key stage 3 Monitoring Inspection report: Ivy Road Primary School, 31 March 2026 4 when they leave the school. Pupils also achieved well in the Year 4 multiplication tables check, with the average score significantly above their national counterparts. Leaders recognise there is still work to do in some subjects, for example in writing, where many older pupils have significant gaps in their foundational knowledge.

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Attendance and behaviour

Pupils’ behaviour across the school is much improved. There are clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at playtimes. Most pupils show a positive attitude to their learning. Most pupils respond well to the agreed whole-school behaviour prompts and expectations. There has been a significant reduction in the rates of suspension. Leaders use these appropriately, and reintegration and subsequent support are well considered. There is a calm and purposeful environment in the school.

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Attendance and behaviour

Pupils’ attendance is not yet good enough. Leaders have taken action to improve attendance, through challenging poor attendance and improving their oversight of pupils’ attendance and punctuality. However, pupils are still not attending school well enough.

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Early years

The school has sustained the improvements in the early years. Leaders have considered children’s readiness for their next stage in learning as they have continued to refine the early years curriculum. The provision for the 2-year-olds, Nursery and Reception classes is closely matched to children’s developmental needs, for example, relating to communication and language, the establishment of routines and a focus on foundational skills. Children discuss their learning with enthusiasm.

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Additional next steps

Leaders and the interim executive board should continue to work to address the priorities for improvement identified in the last graded inspection report. Monitoring Inspection report: Ivy Road Primary School, 31 March 2026 5

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About this inspection

The inspectors carried out this monitoring inspection under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005, and it was the second monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require special measures following the graded inspection that took place in February 2024.

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About this inspection

The school’s previous inspection and the first monitoring inspection was carried out under the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) at that time. The renewed EIF took effect from 10 November 2025. The areas for improvement identified at the school’s graded inspection and subsequent monitoring inspection have been cross-referenced to the relevant evaluation areas in the inspection toolkit for consideration on this monitoring inspection.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas set out in the school inspection toolkit. The purpose was to identify and report on the school’s progress in addressing priorities for improvement since the school’s previous inspection.

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About this inspection

Since the previous monitoring inspection, the school has taken appropriate steps to address the areas for improvement. In January 2026, it was confirmed that Ivy Road Primary School will close in July 2026. This has further impacted staffing and pupil numbers in the school.

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About this inspection

During this inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher, staff, the interim executive board, and the local authority to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection.

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Lead inspector

Georgina Chinaka His Majesty’s Inspector

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About this school

Number of pupils on roll 104 Monitoring Inspection report: Ivy Road Primary School, 31 March 2026 6 and inspects to 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 looked- after-children, safeguarding and child protection.

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About this school

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About this school

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About this school

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About this school

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

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