Southridge First School

Southridge First School Inspection report

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108585 Unique Reference Number North Tyneside Local Authority 288132 Inspection number 15 March 2007 Inspection date Heather Evans Reporting inspector

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

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First Type of school Community School category 3 °9 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 350 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Dr Paul Benneworth Chair Mrs Kathleen Morris Headteacher 1 February 2001 Date of previous school inspection Cranleigh Place School address Beaumont Park Estate Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear NE25 9UD

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0191 2008709 Telephone number 0191 2008710 Fax number

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3 °9 Age group 15 March 2007 Inspection date 288132 Inspection number .

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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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average school. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is lower than average. Pupils are from a range of social backgrounds and nearly all are of White British heritage. On entry to the Nursery, children’s development varies from below to above average but overall it is close to that which is typical for children of the same age nationally. Fewer pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities than in most schools and the number with statements of special educational need is low. Most pupils live near to the school but a significant minority travel a considerable distance to attend.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Southridge First School, 15 March 2007

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Grade: 1

Southridge First is an outstanding school that provides excellent value for money. The work taking place in the Foundation Stage and in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology throughout the school is of particular merit. Pupils’ achievement is excellent. From the mainly average attainment when they start school in the Nursery, children achieve very well and most attain all of the expected learning goals before entering Year 1. Throughout the school, pupils build on this achievement and consistently attain results that are significantly above those for most schools nationally at the end of Year 2. When they leave school at the end of Year 4, pupils attain levels more than a year above those expected for their age. Pupils feel safe and happy in school. They like school and one another and are confident learners. One boy said, ‘We are learning to be independent; teachers help us to think about

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Grade: 1

what we need to do next’. Teachers know the pupils very well; their outstanding care promotes exceptional personal development. Pupils love experimenting with ‘brave writing’ that reflects their willingness to rise to the challenges presented by imaginative teachers. Pupils are proud to show how their planning and testing has helped to create a safe but exciting play area outside. They know that their ideas and opinions are valued. These youngsters know that their ability and knowledge prepare them well for the future. Teaching is never less than good and most lessons are outstanding. Work across the excellent curriculum is linked successfully between subjects and is matched with great care to what pupils know. This leads to new experiences that interest pupils and stimulate their enthusiasm. The school has gained the Healthy School Award for many years and pupils relish explaining the community awards and the very many sporting activities available to them. It celebrates being

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Grade: 1

a no smoking school. The excellent links with families and outside agencies contribute effectively to the ethos of a shared joy in working together that underpins all learning. Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher’s vision is shared and supported by the senior leadership team. Along with the governors, they constantly strive to review practice, monitor and evaluate outcomes. They assess pupils’ personal and academic development with care and rigour. There is no complacency; in this excellent school, staff have a strong understanding of the need for safety checks for personnel and resources. Leaders have an accurate knowledge of the school’s strengths and are constantly seeking ways to enhance provision. All of the strengths identified at the time of the previous inspection have been maintained and built upon. The school excels in its declared purpose of creating a secure, vibrant, challenging and supportive learning environment educating all children to the best

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Grade: 1

possible level. There is excellent capacity for the school to maintain its record of high achievement and to continue to promote ongoing success into the future.

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What the school should do to improve further

• There are no significant areas for improvement.

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Grade: 1

Pupils attain standards that are significantly above the national average. Consistently excellent teaching ensures that all pupils achieve very well. The well above average standards that place 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Southridge First School, 15 March 2007 pupils a year ahead of most children nationally, have been maintained for many years. Children joining the Nursery are ready to learn and do very well. The very good progress that they make means that by the time they move into Year 1 most are reaching and some are exceeding the learning goals expected for their age. In Years 1 and 2, pupils build on the good start and most attain standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science that are significantly above those expected for pupils by the time they are seven. Encouraged to be independent learners, all pupils achieve very well. Almost all reach the levels expected for their age; some exceed these levels. The very few pupils learning

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Grade: 1

English as an additional language do as well as their classmates. The school’s meticulous tracking shows that despite slight differences in some years, boys and girls achieve equally well. The high achievements are maintained in Years 3 and 4. The school’s rigorous assessment procedures cover all subjects across all classes. These demonstrate that by the time pupils leave the school, when they are nine, the majority are working confidently at a level well beyond that expected for their age.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral social and cultural development, is outstanding. Pupils love school and their enjoyment of work and play is excellent. They thrive on responsibility and tackle challenging work with confidence and enthusiasm. They expect teachers to ask them to go the extra mile and they do so willingly. Their behaviour is always good and in many instances it is exemplary. Positive attitudes to work mean that except when they are really ill pupils are keen to attend school and their attendance is above average. Pupils form very strong relationships with adults and one another. They say they feel safe and that bullying is not a problem. Older pupils show great maturity as they look after the younger ones who copy the good behaviour patterns that they see. The work of the school council is valued by pupils, staff and parents. Pupils are proud of the new outdoor play equipment that their

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Grade: 1

ideas have generated, thanks to help from the governors and the very supportive friends of the school association. Acting as playground buddies, pupils befriend new children so that newcomers explained that even in a few days the entire school had become their friends. Experiences on residential visits are described with glee as they remember the fun they had together. Close links with local churches, other schools and sporting clubs help pupils to prepare successfully for the next stage of learning for life.

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Grade: 1

Very effective and consistently high quality teaching ensures that all pupils, whatever their experiences, needs or abilities achieve very well. A significant strength of the pattern of teaching is the way that pupils’ work and progress are tracked. Teachers use this information in their meticulous planning of lessons that meet the needs of each pupil. A rich range of learning opportunities enables pupils to be challenged so that they attain their full potential. The challenge is great in all classes and work from one subject is used and reinforced to develop learning in other lessons. Resources are all of good quality; the choice of work to match different styles of learning captures pupils’ interest and helps their endeavours to be rapid and meaningful. Well reasoned extended writing is normal across the school. Pupils know and understand what 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Southridge First School, 15 March 2007

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Grade: 1

they need to do next in order to achieve their personal goals. They confidently explain how they know that they are doing well and why they need to continue to work hard towards the next stage of their learning.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum, including the many enrichment opportunities, is outstanding. It promotes excellent achievement. Subjects are frequently linked together so that pupils can make use of their skills in other subjects that they have learned in English, mathematics and computing. Pupils’ individual talents and learning styles are catered for very well through a range of interesting and practical experiences. Learners’ needs are the central part of all planning. The excellent curriculum in the Foundation Stage makes very effective use of the outside areas and encourages children to think, explore and investigate for themselves around planned topics. Effective links between the Foundation Stage and the pre-school group help transition and prepare children very well for more formal learning. Throughout the school, pupils have access to a rich range of activities, inside and beyond their classrooms. They enjoy theatre and museum

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Grade: 1

visits and residential visits extend the already stimulating physical activities. Themed learning, such as the archaeology day, enables pupils to explore their own lines of enquiry and then report back to their class. Strong links with other schools, including the linked middle school, provide another layer to the richness of the curriculum provision.

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Grade: 1

Parents affirm that one reason why children do so well at this school is as a result of the excellent care that adults show to all pupils. Everyone working in the school, including the lunchtime supervisors and the kitchen staff, contribute to the outstanding level of care, guidance and support for all pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities learn successfully alongside their peers because of the high level of care and support provided by all adults. The breakfast club provides very well for children before lessons. Pupils explain how much they like school and know that teachers and teaching assistants are always ready to listen to them often acting on their ideas and suggestions. Teachers track pupils’ academic progress very thoroughly. They spot tiny slips as well as the massive gains and tailor work to meet each individual’s need. Everyone within the school is aiming for excellence and is ready to do whatever is needed to

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Grade: 1

challenge and support pupils so that their individual plans are fulfilled.

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Grade: 1

The leadership and management are outstanding. The entire staff keeps the work of the school under constant review through rigorous assessment, monitoring and tracking procedures. These start in the Foundation Stage and continue to the end of Year 4. The progress of every group of pupils, whatever their needs and attributes, is regularly recorded and reviewed. The slightest slow down in progress is investigated and, where required, help is provided. The vision of the headteacher is shared and supported by the extremely knowledgeable leadership team and the governing body. The high standards in tested subjects are used to very good effect to increase the range and scope of work in all other subjects. Established and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Southridge First School, 15 March 2007 newly qualified staff all benefit from the many opportunities for shared training, often alongside governors. The governors’ contribution to the school’s drive for excellence is valued by the

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Grade: 1

headteacher and staff. The governors’ good planning and moderation of work are part of the school’s excellent self-evaluation process. They bring with them a wide range of skills and expertise and promote many opportunities for parents, pupils and the wider community to share in the work of the school. Despite having no issues when last inspected, the school has continued to develop and grow as shown by the start of the new nursery and other improvements. It shows by the continuing high standards and excellent achievement that it is outstandingly placed to continue on this path of excellence. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Southridge First School, 15 March 2007 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Southridge First School, 15 March 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Southridge First School, 15 March 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Southridge First School, 15 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Southridge First School Cranleigh Place Beaumont Park Estate Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear NE25 9UD 15 March 2007 Dear Pupils Thank you so much for your warm welcome and help when I visited your school. It was so good to look at some of your work and listen to you explaining why you enjoyed writing such long stories and working with such complex calculations. You told me your school was excellent, and I agree but do you know that it is only so good because you all work so hard? Well, besides your work, your teachers work hard too; so you have a shared responsibility for why it is such a good place for learning. Keep up the good work. Whoever I asked was sure that that there was no bullying; some of you thought it was a silly question. Well done to all of you. Your good behaviour makes it easier for you all to get on with the very many exciting activities you have. Your school council is working hard for you and is rightly pleased to have persuaded the governors to find ways to improve your outdoor

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

play facilities. I enjoyed having lunch with you and was pleased that you knew so much about making healthy choices about food, regular exercise and your Smoke Free school award. You go to an excellent school where lessons and learning are fun because your teachers plan your work so carefully. Your headteacher and all of the adults want you to have the very best and try to think what you might need before even you know what you want. I hope school continues to be such an enjoyable place and that it will enable you to remain such confident and independent learners that you are now. Yours sincerely, Heather Evans Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Southridge First School, 15 March 2007

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