Lobley Hill Primary School

Inspection Report Lobley Hill Primary School

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108369 Unique Reference Number Gateshead LEA 277957 Inspection number 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006 Inspection dates Mr Anthony Calderbank Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Rothbury Gardens School address Primary Type of school Lobley Hill Community School category Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE11 0AT 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

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0191 4334080 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0191 4334082 Fax number 358 Number on roll Rev R K Hopper Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Alan Tricoglus Headteacher 1 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277957 2 May 2006 - 3 to 11 3 May 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This larger than average primary school serves a socially and economically mixed community. The number of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is broadly average. There are a small number of looked after children. Well below average numbers of pupils are from minority ethnic or mixed heritage backgrounds, and very few speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well above that found in most schools. Children enter school in the Nursery with below average skills in most areas of learning; their language and social skills are well below average. The school has gained the Basic Skills Award, the Healthy Schools Award and the Investors in People Award. It is a lead school in a consortium providing School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) and is part of an Excellence in Cities Education Action Zone.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lobley Hill Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006

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Grade: 2

Lobley Hill is a good school. The judgement matches the school’s own evaluation. The vast majority of parents and pupils who expressed a view to the inspection team hold the school in high regard and believe it makes an exceptional commitment to pupils. The inspectors judge that the care and support provided are good and pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding. Teaching is good and, as a result, pupils achieve well and attain above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. However, standards in writing in Years 1 and 2 are below those found in most schools. The quality of education and children’s achievement in the Foundation Stage are good overall, although aspects of practice, such as the use of the outside play area, require improvement. Relationships in the school are very good and the vast majority of pupils behave very well. The curriculum is good and pupils

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Grade: 2

enjoy the many extra activities and educational visits. The school is well led and managed. The headteacher, leaders, staff and governors share a determination that all pupils will succeed. They know what the school does well and have correctly identified what needs to be improved. Good improvements have been made since the last inspection. The strong commitment to raising standards and working in very effective partnerships with outside agencies, places the school in a good position to make further improvements. The school manages its finances very effectively and gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve standards in writing in Years 1 and 2. • Improve the quality and use of the outdoor play area for children in the Foundation Stage.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good and standards are above average. Children get a good start to their education in the Foundation Stage so they make good progress. By the end of the Reception year standards are broadly average in all the areas of learning except language, literacy and communication, where they are below average. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1 so that by the end of Year 2 they reach above average standards in reading and mathematics. However, standards in writing are below those found in most schools and have been for the past five years. Pupils continue to achieve well in Years 3 to 6 and standards are above average, although they are lower in English than in mathematics and science. In 2005, the school just missed its statutory targets for the percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 and above in English and mathematics, but exceeded them for the higher Level 5. In 2005, boys did not do as well as girls in

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Grade: 2

the Key Stage 1 assessments. However, by the end of Year 6, girls and boys achieve equally well. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, those who speak 2 Inspection Report: Lobley Hill Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006 English as an additional language and looked after children make progress at a similar rate to other pupils.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development, which is very much at the heart of the school’s work, is outstanding. They really enjoy coming to school and their good attendance reflects this. They think their school is ‘fabulous’. They really appreciate what the school does for them. Their outstanding behaviour, attitudes to work and relationships with others help create a happy, purposeful atmosphere in school. Pupils take initiative for their own learning. For example, the older pupils research and present their own topics. They are very aware of the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity and know how to keep safe. The work of the school council fully involves the pupils in decision-making and they are very proud of the improvements they have made to the playground and toilets. Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is outstanding. They have a good understanding of their own and other cultures, and they are

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Grade: 1

encouraged to reflect deeply on a variety of issues important to them. They willingly take on responsibilities and are very involved in a range of local environmental initiatives. The links with the nearby church and fundraising events for charity effectively develop their awareness of the community outside school. Pupils leave the school as confident, mature and caring individuals who have achieved strong academic and personal skills and who are very well prepared for the next stage of education and beyond.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good, with some outstanding lessons that consistently promote pupils’ academic and personal development. Lessons are well planned and pupils respond with well thought-out answers to challenging questions. Teachers share their lesson aims with the pupils at the start of lessons and this enables them to successfully review and reinforce what they have learnt at the end of lessons. Lessons have a brisk pace and a variety of activities, which maintains the interest of the pupils. Teachers make good use of information and communication technology (ICT) to help pupils learn. They develop speaking and listening skills well through group discussion and thorough questioning. In English in Years 1 and 2, the development of the pupils’ writing skills requires improvement. The school has identified good strategies to increase the rate at which these pupils make progress. Science lessons provide good

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Grade: 2

and enjoyable opportunities for pupils to develop their investigative skills. Looked after children, pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language make the same good progress as other pupils because teachers match work accurately to their specific needs and they receive good support. The school’s involvement with teacher training has improved teaching and learning 3 Inspection Report: Lobley Hill Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006 by helping teachers to evaluate their work and by providing extra resources, particularly in ICT.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It provides well for the range of learners’ needs in the mixed-age classes and promotes an enjoyment of learning. The arranging of pupils into ability groups for some English and mathematics lessons ensures the right level of challenge to move them on at a good pace. Several strands of the curriculum combine very well to enable pupils to understand and adopt safe and healthy lifestyles. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good, but there is a need to develop the outside play area and to ensure that its use supports all the areas of learning. The wide range of extra-curricular activities broadens pupils’ experiences and enables them to develop their interests in fields such as craftwork, music and sport. All pupils have the opportunity to take part in educational visits, for example to Watergate Park, where they can undertake environmental studies and a residential course. Pupils have

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Grade: 2

also been able to suggest ideas for Gateshead’s Flower Show and to take part in an annual ‘Stars in Your Eyes’ contest. More able pupils extend their talents through master classes at a local comprehensive school and those with sporting abilities have the opportunity of extra coaching.

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Grade: 2

Procedures to ensure the welfare, health and safety of pupils, including child protection and assessing risk, are effective. They are understood by all staff. Staff respond quickly to pupils’ individual needs and work very closely with outside agencies to provide for individuals’ specific needs. As a result, those pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, those who speak English as an additional language and looked after children receive very good support. Assessment and tracking procedures to monitor and guide pupils’ progress are also very good, but pupils in Years 3 and 4 find it difficult to review their own progress and set their own targets for improvement. Pupils’ successes are regularly celebrated through celebration days, displays and the newsletter. This plays a very important part in pupils’ personal development. Pupils feel safe in school and are confident that there is always an adult they could turn to if they felt the need.

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Grade: 2

Parents are kept well informed of their children’s work and progress through parents’ evenings, reports and other meetings, such as workshop sessions.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides very strong leadership. His passionate commitment to the pupils and his determination that all will develop as confident and successful learners are shared by all the staff. He is well supported by the deputy headteacher, subject 4 Inspection Report: Lobley Hill Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006 leaders and all staff. As a result, there is a positive ethos in the school which serves the pupils well. The school’s self-evaluation is accurate because it uses rigorous systems to identify strengths and weaknesses and set targets for improvement. Procedures to monitor the work of the school include analysis of test results and assessments, observation of lessons, discussions with pupils about their learning, and scrutiny of their work. All this has led to action that has raised the level of challenge for higher attainers and improved test results. Governors are very supportive of the school and some, especially

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Grade: 2

the chair, are closely involved in its work. However, they could be more involved in drawing up the school improvement plan. The school uses its resources efficiently and works very well with external agencies, most notably in teacher training. It regularly consults parents and pupils and acts on their views in the best interests of the school. For example, the homework policy has been reviewed and playground equipment improved. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection and is well placed to continue to improve. 5 Inspection Report: Lobley Hill Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Lobley Hill Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 The Children and Pupils Lobley Hill Primary School Rothbury Gardens Lobley Hill Gateshead Tyne and Wear NE11 0AT 3 May 2006 Dear Children and Pupils Now that we have finished inspecting your school, I am writing to tell you what we think. First of all, thank you very much for making us so welcome in your school. We enjoyed talking to you and seeing your lessons. We are particularly grateful to those of you who came to tell us about the work you do and what you think of your school. Yours is a good school and you do well, especially in English, mathematics and science. The staff work hard to make lessons interesting for you. They run lots of clubs, take you on visits and invite visitors to talk to you. We could see that you enjoy school and want to learn, and that the staff look after you very well. You are very well behaved and polite. We were pleased

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to see that you learn how to keep safe and healthy. We have asked your teachers to improve: the quality of writing in Years 1 and 2 the outdoor play areas in the Nursery and Reception class. Your school is run well and we are sure that Mr Tricoglus, the teachers, and the governors will carry on working hard to make it better still. Keep on doing your best and enjoying school. Yours faithfully Tony Calderbank Lead inspector

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