Grange First School

Grange First School

Address: Norham Road, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE3 2NP Unique reference number (URN): 108444

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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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Inclusion Strong standard

This is a highly inclusive and welcoming school. It takes pupils from a wide range of backgrounds, including an increasing number of pupils with multiple vulnerabilities. Leaders show determination and rigour in seeking the best possible provision for the pupils at Grange. Leaders monitor the impact of this provision, ensuring that it meets their high standards. This contributes to pupils making appropriate progress through the curriculum across the school. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those who are disadvantaged and pupils who are known to social care.

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Inclusion Strong standard

A well-planned approach to staff professional development means that staff get the bespoke training that they need to be able to support pupils well. This helps to reduce barriers to learning for pupils. Staff quickly identify the needs of those pupils with SEND or those with other vulnerabilities. Where a small number of pupils need a more tailored approach to the curriculum, leaders ensure that this is in place. Every pupil at Grange gets the support they need to maximise their chances of success, whether academic or pastoral.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school currently uses one alternative provision. Leaders make regular checks on this provision to ensure that it meets the needs of any pupil who attends.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Over time, leaders have crafted a compelling offer for pupils' wider development at Grange. They actively and strategically work to identify opportunities that will benefit pupils' wider development beyond the academic. A wide range of clubs and educational visits help to nurture pupils' talents and interests. A well-planned series of events and visitors to school, including opportunities to engage with those of different faiths, help to develop pupils' understanding of spirituality and cultural difference. From an early age, pupils develop a keen sense of right and wrong. Pupils talk with commendable maturity about democracy or the rule of law. They understand that discrimination of any form is unacceptable. They refer often to the ethos of 'everyone different, everyone welcome'. Pupils' inclusive outlook makes themselves and the school proud.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school ensures that the programme of wider development is accessible to all. For example, leaders seek to remove financial or cultural barriers to participation in its wide range of activities, including the Year 4 residential. Pupils also talk with confidence about healthy and unhealthy friendships as a result of the highly effective relationships education programme. Pupils develop a detailed understanding of safety, both online and offline. Wherever possible, the school uses the local metro system to travel for educational visits. This allows pupils to further develop their understanding of safety in different environments. Pupils discuss physical and mental health with impressive clarity. For example, pupils understand how sharing any worries helps them deal with issues. Attentive staff who are attuned to pupils' emotional needs effectively implement the school's highly impressive pastoral support. Pupils across school benefit from this. It makes a significant difference to

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

all aspects of the wider school, including on pupils' ability to access their learning. It also contributes to the sense of harmony across classrooms and at unstructured times of the

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Expected standard

school day. The school's outdoor play and learning offer makes a significant contribution to pupils' resilience and enjoyment of play.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils typically achieve well, making appropriate progress through the curriculum from their starting points. With firm foundations set in the early years, children are typically well prepared for their next stages of education. Staff here understand the importance of phonics knowledge as a gateway to children becoming fluent readers and then accessing the wider curriculum when they move into Year 1. Pupils attain more highly than their peers nationally in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities also tend to attain well in this area. This means they are well prepared for their next stage of education. There are times when pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not produce work of a consistently high quality, however. Leaders are aware of this. They have identified this as a priority for further work and are taking steps to

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders' prioritise the importance of regular attendance. Alongside other school staff, leaders work strategically to remove barriers to pupils' attendance, demonstrating impact of their actions in many instances. Overall, attendance is positive. Persistent absence for the school as a whole is lower than national figures over time. Leaders have overseen consistent improvements in the absence rates of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, the number of disadvantaged pupils who are persistently absent from school fluctuates more. As a result, some disadvantaged pupils miss out on important learning, which can limit the progress that they make.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Behaviour across the school is highly positive. The youngest children in early years cooperate well, sharing resources and playing happily together. Older pupils engage well with their learning. They develop empathy and understanding towards their peers. Older pupils act as excellent role models for younger pupils. As a result, bullying or instances of derogatory language are rare. At times, some pupils struggle with their behaviour in school. When this is the case, leaders do all they can so that pupils get the most appropriate support. Leaders make adjustments to the curriculum and engage well with external agencies to help those pupils who are most vulnerable receive the support that they need to learn effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a strategic approach to curriculum improvement in school. This allows them to identify appropriate areas for development. Leaders then use staff's expertise alongside external support where necessary to further refine and improve the curriculum. At its heart, the school's curriculum is designed to secure the important foundations for learning. This is adapted and adjusted expertly by staff to address the needs of groups of pupils. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Typically, the curriculum is taught effectively and in line with leaders' intentions. However, there are occasions where the tasks that pupils complete do not sufficiently build and develop their skills and knowledge over time. This then impacts on the quality of work that pupils produce.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Quality curriculums across different subject areas give pupils the opportunity to revisit prior learning. Consequently, pupils typically develop an appropriate understanding and recall of many areas of the curriculum. For example, children in early years make reference to concrete 'being a liquid and then becoming solid'. Pupils in key stage 1 talk with understanding about the ways in which London changed after the fire in 1666, and older pupils accurately compare fractions to decimal equivalents.

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Early years Expected standard

Harnessing expertise at all levels of leadership, staff at Grange have prioritised early years to provide the firm foundations for future learning. Leaders' clear oversight and understanding of the quality of early years provision allows them to identify and make further improvements over time. For example, the curriculums across Nursery and Reception show clear understanding of the experiences that young children need. These experiences are then planned into the curriculum. As a result, children make consistent progress across the early years curriculum from their starting points and typically achieve well over time.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years curriculums are high quality. Well-trained staff build children's knowledge and skills over time to prepare them effectively for the next stage of their education. Staff are also adept at identifying children's needs quickly and accurately. This means that provision can then be adapted to meet those needs. This includes children who are disadvantaged or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Early years Expected standard

Through a well-planned approach to personal, social and emotional development, children willingly share resources and engage in positive, collaborative play. Children develop their vocabulary through a love of stories. They enjoy joining in with familiar, repeated phrases. Children identify different parts of a plant, using appropriate names and scientific vocabulary. Staff quickly reshape tasks to consolidate children's learning across the curriculum. For example, they seamlessly weave number work into story time.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leadership at all levels at Grange is consistent, evaluative and focused on continual improvement. This is exemplified best in terms of the high-quality professional development for staff. Due to increasing numbers of pupils who join the school with varying levels of disadvantage or need, staff training has had to be forensically tailored to meet rapidly changing needs over time. This has developed staff's expertise and confidence to help support the most vulnerable pupils. As a result, all staff are invested in taking positive action in the best interests of children and pupils. The overwhelming majority of staff are complimentary about the support they get for their workload and wellbeing. Governors form a skilled and knowledgeable board. They challenge and support the school appropriately. They gather a wide range of information about the school, assuring themselves of its validity through effective mechanisms for checking. Governors ensure that

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

they fulfil all statutory duties and obligations.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have clear oversight of where further improvements can be made in the school. They constantly strive to seek the best possible experiences and outcomes for children and pupils. Leaders engage well with staff, external agencies and parents and carers to help make these improvements. Parents are fabulous advocates for the school. They compliment the 'values of kindness and respect' that staff embody, as well as the school's 'commitment to the growth of the whole child'. They also refer to the 'acceptance and understanding' throughout the school and how the school engenders a sense of community.

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

Pupils at Grange are proud to be part of this welcoming school. They are excellent ambassadors for the school community. Pupils consistently demonstrate the school's core values of respect and kindness. From the youngest children in Nursery to the oldest pupils in Year 4, all show a sense of belonging to the school family. They embody the principle of 'everyone different, everyone welcome'. Staff nurture children and pupils. This means that pupils of all ages get the opportunities they need to flourish and thrive. Across the school, pupils feel safe, typically achieve well and feel valued as members of the school community. Most pupils attend school well.

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

Pupils demonstrate an inquisitive nature in lessons, both indoors and outdoors. They are attentive in lessons. Pupils want to learn, so they can develop their knowledge. They typically have a secure recall of their learning. This spans different curriculum topics, such as the contrast between Athens and Sparta in Ancient Greece or the composition of the Earth. Younger children in Nursery talk excitedly about finding different insects in their forest school sessions. They use vocabulary to describe insects' features. Over time, pupils tend to make positive progress through the curriculum across the school. Well-trained staff identify pupils with barriers to their learning or wellbeing. Effective support helps pupils to overcome these barriers. They are typically well prepared for their next stage of education.

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

Pupils' behaviour and relationships across school are highly positive. Whether in the school's initiative of 'wonderful walking' seen in the corridors or in pupils' positive interactions with one another as part of breaktime play, pupils seek to live up to the school's high expectations. As a result of the school's highly effective pastoral support, those who might struggle with their emotions at times, get the tailored support they need. Bullying is rare. Pupils have confidence that staff would deal with any issues quickly.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the tasks given in lessons allow pupils to develop their skills and knowledge so that they produce consistently high-quality work across the curriculum.

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Lead inspector:

Richard Beadnall, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Jonathon Bull, Ofsted Inspector Sharon Ballinger, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 16 June 2026

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School and pupil context

Leaders should continue their work to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils to reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent from school.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Iain Ross.

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About this inspection

The school is a member of the Gosforth School's Trust. This is not a multi-academy trust, but a collaborative partnership of 11 schools across Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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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 Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school staff, members of the board of governors and an external school improvement partner.

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About this inspection

Inspectors also spoke with groups of pupils, visited a sample of lessons and looked at examples of pupils' work across a number of curriculum subjects. Inspectors spoke with some parents and carers.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school currently makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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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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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 6 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. National average: 3.5%

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support 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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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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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) 11.4% 14.6% 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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