East Boldon Junior School

East Boldon Junior School

Address: North Lane, North Road, Tyne & Wear, Tyne and Wear, NE36 0DL Unique reference number (URN): 108692

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils’ academic outcomes at this school are impressive. This includes pupils who face barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Where outcomes are slightly lower, leaders’ actions have brought about improvements. For instance, pupils’ writing outcomes are getting better and the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is closing rapidly. Pupils quickly close gaps in their knowledge particularly across reading, maths, writing and oracy.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils’ work demonstrates their secure grasp of lesson content. This is illustrated in the confidence with which pupils are able to apply their knowledge in a variety of different ways. Pupils demonstrate detailed subject knowledge. They use subject-specific terminology confidently and explain concepts and their reasoning in a sophisticated way. Pupils have a well-developed understanding of other faiths and cultures.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils leave the school confident and accomplished learners more than ready to start their secondary education.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the curriculum’s strengths and areas for development. They act swiftly to maintain high standards. Their recent work to strengthen the teaching of writing ensures that it is now delivered consistently well across all subjects. Leaders also identify effective practice and extend it across the school. For example, successful approaches that help pupils recall learning over time in mathematics are now evident in all lessons.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers expertly develop pupils’ core skills in reading, writing, mathematics and communication. Teachers encourage pupils to explore their ideas through talking in pairs and explaining their thinking. Each classroom creates a culture in which pupils become confident, articulate learners. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities who require additional support follow a tailored curriculum that meets their needs well. They also learn alongside their peers in engaging and well-taught reading lessons, where they develop fluency, expression and confidence when reading aloud. The school’s reading curriculum is a clear strength, carefully designed to support all pupils to succeed. Staff share their expertise in teaching fluency and comprehension with other schools. Leaders’ clear expectations, alongside effective training, enable staff to make highly effective decisions about what to teach and how to teach it.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have built an effective programme of personal development and wellbeing over time. All pupils benefit fully from this comprehensive provision. Pupils learn a well- sequenced curriculum related to personal, social and health education. They develop excellent knowledge as a result. Pupils confidently advise others about how to stay safe online, recognise a healthy relationship and look after their mental health.

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Expected standard

An interwoven programme of assemblies enhances the curriculum further. Pupils learn about fundamental British values through stories of important historical and sporting figures. Through the ‘secret reader’ initiative, guest speakers surprise pupils by arriving in school to read aloud. On occasion, the secret reader is a pupil, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This well-considered event builds pupils’ confidence and enjoyment of reading impressively. Well-chosen books within the curriculum also help pupils explore important topics such as friendships and equality.

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Expected standard

Leaders thoughtfully integrate careers education into the curriculum. Each year group is part of a ‘school’. For example, Year 4 are in ‘beach school’ and Year 6 are in ‘medical school’. Within each school, pupils learn about exciting careers such as marine biologist. They also take part in related trips and learn vital skills such as emergency first aid. Pupils are excited to join in. They share varied and ambitious career aspirations inspired by what they have learned.

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Expected standard

High-quality pastoral care underpins the personal development programme. Pupils all undertake an externally provided six-week mental health programme. This uses interactive storytelling to help children understand, talk about and manage their mental health. Pupils value this input. It helps them develop resilience as well as show kindness and empathy to others. As a result of this carefully managed programme, pupils thrive at the school. They learn happily alongside one another in a caring and stimulating environment.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders, staff and pupils are clear about expectations for high attendance and positive behaviour. Overall, pupils’ attendance is in line with national averages and improving over time. However, some pupils who are in receipt of free school meals do not attend as well as they should. Staff know this and do all they can to remove barriers for pupils and their families. For many, this makes a positive difference. Leaders use a range of strategies to promote excellent attendance. Pupils enjoy winning ‘Bertie Bee’ and receiving certificates and badges for high or improving attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Around school, there is a happy, purposeful atmosphere. Pupils praise the kindness of their teachers. It helps them feel safe and want to do their very best. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are typically focused. If poor behaviour or unkind comments do occur, staff follow it up quickly and effectively. Pupils, staff and most parents are confident that bullying is rare. Leaders know when bullying occurs and they act upon it. However, leaders do not yet have a sufficiently detailed understanding of trends in the reporting of bullying over time. This limits how effectively they plan and target strategic actions to address any concerns.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have created a highly inclusive school where all pupils feel welcome and supported. Over time, more pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have joined the school. Staff identify these pupils’ needs quickly and act promptly to implement support. A clear assessment and review process helps staff adapt this support where necessary and remove barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding well to support disadvantaged pupils. These pupils receive targeted guidance and intervention, helping them to achieve more over time. As a result, the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers continues to close. Pupils involved with social care benefit from highly effective multi-agency working. The school coordinates this effectively, ensuring all professionals collaborate to improve pupils’ outcomes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders prioritise staff training so they can meet pupils’ needs effectively. For example, staff develop their understanding of conditions such as autism and apply this knowledge in their practice. The school also uses a sensory room to help some pupils regulate their emotions and engage in learning alongside their peers. However, leaders do not yet evaluate the impact of their inclusion work with enough precision. This limits how effectively they identify strengths and shape next steps for further improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors place pupils’ interests at the centre of decision-making. They know their school well. Within the curriculum, leaders identify priorities and take decisive action to improve provision. This leads to better outcomes for pupils in targeted areas. Leaders’ high expectations secure consistently positive results over time which helps pupils access future opportunities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders support staff well through professional development and attention to workload. Staff enjoy coming to work. Most parents value the school, although a few would welcome consistent follow-up when bullying occurs and clearer communication overall. As a community school, leaders work in close partnership with the local authority to improve provision. Leaders benefit from this support but also contribute. For example, they share their expertise in teaching reading across other local schools. However, leaders do not consistently bring together and analyse information about inclusion and behaviour with sufficient precision. As a result, they do not always use this information to plan sharply focused strategic actions, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. While leaders maintain highly effective practice in many areas, this slightly reduces their ability to evaluate impact fully and refine their work further.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors understand the school’s strengths and make a positive contribution. However, they do not consistently use their statutory responsibilities to check leaders’ work in enough detail. They do not always use effective methods to assure themselves of impact, which can limit how well they challenge leaders and hold them to account across all areas of the school’s work.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy attending this inclusive and high-achieving school. They embrace the school’s motto of ‘Be The Best We Can Be’, try hard in their work and treat each other with respect. Pupils engage enthusiastically in all the school has to offer, including an exciting and thoughtfully developed personal development programme.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils move around the building in a calm manner. Their warm relationships with adults help ensure they feel safe and happy. Pupils on the school council carefully select music for singing assemblies. Everyone joins in this joyful part of the day. It is one of the many ways pupils develop a sense of belonging and togetherness in their school community.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a consistently high standard of teaching. They speak confidently about their learning and have numerous opportunities to apply learning in sophisticated ways. As a result, pupils, including those who face barriers to learning, achieve very well at this school. Their outcomes in external assessments are typically above national averages, and this has been sustained over time. Pupils’ progress in core subjects such as reading and maths is a particular strength of the school. They are very well-prepared for their next steps by the end of Year 6.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Overall, pupils attend well. Many pupils enjoy arriving early for breakfast club. Here, they can socialise with adults and peers while making a positive start to the day. Pupils rarely use discriminatory language and know why it is wrong. Bullying is uncommon at their school. If it does occur, pupils are confident they can turn to an adult who will act without delay.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils access a range of exciting opportunities in school to develop their character and discover their talents. This includes learning to play golf, attending ‘beach school’ or going on increasingly adventurous residential trips.

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Next steps

Leaders should improve the rigour with which they draw together and analyse information across inclusion and behaviour, this work should directly inform strategic actions to adapt and improve provision for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Governors should review the methods they use to assure themselves of the quality of leaders’ work, in line with their statutory duties, so that they can even more robustly challenge leaders across all areas of the school’s work.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Maureen Skevington.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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Team inspectors:

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, His Majesty's Inspector Rob Hunter, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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240

Close to average Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other leaders and with staff during the inspection. An inspector spoke with a group of governors including the chair of the governing body. Inspectors also spoke with several groups of pupils.

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240

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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240

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2023/24 (final) 72% 72% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 76% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 42% 46% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 50% 44% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (final) 71% 63% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 67% 62% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2023/24 (final) 50% 58% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 50% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.0% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.4% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.7% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 15.1% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 13.9% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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