Fell Dyke Community Primary School

Fell Dyke Community Primary School Inspection report

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108379 Unique Reference Number Gateshead Local Authority 309672 Inspection number 13 November 2007 Inspection date Christine Inkster HMI 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 222 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Hazel Jacques Chair Mrs Belita Scott Headteacher 1 February 2004 Date of previous school inspection Springwell Road School address Gateshead Tyne and Wear NE9 7AA 0191 433 4111 Telephone number 0191 433 4110 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 13 November 2007 Inspection date 309672 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 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and one inspector from Ofsted’s Children’s Directorate. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: achievement and standards throughout the school; teaching and learning, and leadership and management; as well as some aspects of the curriculum; care, guidance and support and the personal development and well-being of pupils. Evidence was gathered from the school’s self-evaluation document, national published assessment data, local authority and school’s own data, the school’s records and procedures, observations of the school at work, parents’ questionnaires and discussions with pupils, staff and governors. Other aspects of the school’s work were not fully investigated. The inspectors agreed with the school’s own judgements about personal development and well-being, care, guidance and support, the effectiveness of

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Introduction

the Foundation Stage, the curriculum and teaching and learning.

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Description of the school

Fell Dyke Primary School is of average size and is situated in Gateshead. The percentage of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is also higher than that found nationally and there are a small number of pupils with a statement of special educational need. There are very few pupils from a minority ethnic background and a small proportion for whom English is not their first language. The school is closely linked to a Children’s Centre and also a Day Nursery which are situated on the same site. The school has achieved a significant number of awards, including the Basic Skills Quality Mark, the Silver Artsmark, Activemark and Healthy Schools Status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Fell Dyke Community Primary School, 13 November 2007

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Grade: 2

Fell Dyke Primary school is a good school with outstanding features, especially with regard to its caring ethos, pupils’ personal development and the excellent opportunities provided in the curriculum which greatly enhance learning for pupils. The vast majority of parents are delighted with the school and particularly those families whose children have experienced difficulties in their lives. One parent says, ‘We owe the school a great deal of gratitude’ and another says, ‘My child’s education is flourishing’. Children enter school with skills and abilities which are below and often well below those typical for their age. Rates of progress vary across the different areas of learning, but children make good progress overall and in most aspects of their personal and social development. However, progress in some aspects of communication, language and literacy and mathematical skills are limited. At Key Stage 1, pupils continue to make good progress in their personal and social

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Grade: 2

skills and an increasing proportion are improving their numeracy skills; but standards overall remain below average in mathematics and well below average in reading and writing. Nevertheless, evidence seen in lessons during the inspection shows that pupils are currently making at least satisfactory and sometimes better progress in literacy and numeracy. Higher ability pupils do not always make as much progress as they should. Evidence in national data shows that no pupils attained the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 1 in 2007. The rate of progress increases during Key Stage 2, but is more rapid in Years 5 and 6. This enables pupils to reach standards which are broadly average by the end of their time in school. Provisional results in 2007 show that pupils reached standards in science which are above average and higher ability pupils achieved very well in this subject. However, in some

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Grade: 2

lessons in Key Stage 2, higher ability pupils do not always make as much progress as they should. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because of the high quality support they receive. The personal development and well-being of pupils are outstanding. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and they are extremely courteous and polite. The highly effective school council is very proactive in seeking the views of other pupils, and the pupils are delighted with the improvements made to the school because of their suggestions, for example, in the playground and dining hall. Pupils say they feel very safe and free from bullying and know they can talk to staff if they have a concern. Pupils have a very clear understanding of how to live healthy lifestyles and benefit from initiatives where pupils and parents work together effectively to cook healthy, nutritious meals. Pupils benefit greatly from the wide variety of sports activities

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Grade: 2

available to them and participation rates are high. Pupils enjoy their learning, as shown by their extremely positive attitudes in lessons. Attendance has greatly improved due to the excellent range of initiatives, including the ‘Bobby Bee’ reward system and the fact that governors offer support to specific families who experience difficulty in ensuring their children attend school regularly. However, despite the very best efforts of the school, attendance is only satisfactory and a significant minority of pupils are late for school. Pupils are keen to take on responsibilities and enjoy opportunities for fund-raising and singing in the local community. Pupils have participated in a wide range of initiatives, resulting in gaining an exceptional number of awards. The skills pupils develop as a result of their participation, for example in gaining the basic skills award, help to prepare them well for their future economic well being. Spiritual, moral and

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Grade: 2

social development is very good. Cultural development has greatly improved following a few incidents of racist name-calling. These have been fully addressed and there have been no 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Fell Dyke Community Primary School, 13 November 2007 further incidents. The school has now ensured that pupils are well prepared for life in a multicultural society. Care, guidance and support are outstanding. The school works very effectively with a wide variety of other agencies, to ensure that all pupils receive the highest quality support possible. All appropriate policies and guidelines, including those to safeguard pupils, are in place to ensure the health and safety of pupils. The academic guidance provided for pupils is very good. Pupils understand their targets and know what they have to do to improve. Marking and feedback are very effective and pupils are given an opportunity to correct their work in the

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Grade: 2

next lesson. Assessment procedures are very good and teachers accurately identify the important ‘next steps’ in learning for individual pupils. The school is in the process of introducing a new tracking system to enable them to monitor the progress of pupils even more effectively. Very challenging targets have just been set in writing to encourage pupils to reach their full potential in this area. The curriculum is broad and balanced and is outstanding because of the wide range of enrichment that meets the needs of pupils well. Very effective links between subjects are evident in planning and this makes learning more coherent for pupils. The curriculum is greatly enhanced by a wide range of high quality visits and visitors, including opportunities to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and to take part in auditions for television programmes because of the effective provision for drama. Workshops for science and design technology

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Grade: 2

are also highly effective and greatly enhance opportunities for developing skills in these areas. Links with local theatres, art galleries and museums provide excellent opportunities for pupils to extend their learning even further, particularly in creative subjects. Pupils greatly enjoy the wide variety of out-of-school activities provided and participation rates are very high. Teaching and learning are good overall. Class management and relationships are excellent so pupils of all abilities, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, can enjoy their learning in a safe and secure environment. Misconceptions are handled sensitively and positively which promotes the self-esteem of pupils. Teachers are enthusiastic and this motivates and interests pupils in their learning. Work is differentiated effectively to meet the needs of most pupils and appropriate curricular targets are set to help them improve. Information and

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Grade: 2

communication technology (ICT) is used effectively to support learning and helps pupils to concentrate. Teachers make every effort to give clear explanations to pupils to help them understand their learning but, on occasions, some pupils struggle to understand concepts and this slows their progress in learning. In some whole-class sessions, the pace of learning is not as brisk as it could be, and in these lessons more able pupils do not always reach their full potential. Leadership and management are good. The senior leadership team, although relatively newly formed, is very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and highly committed to raising standards of achievement for pupils, particularly in the core subjects. The leadership of the headteacher is highly effective and the school is going from strength to strength. She is extremely committed to improving opportunities for pupils to enable them to have a very good start in life. Team

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Grade: 2

members who support the development of particular areas and subjects are also keen to improve the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in the foundation subjects. Monitoring of planning and children’s work is carried out very effectively and rigorously by staff, but opportunities for staff to monitor and observe each other’s teaching are limited. Governors are very supportive of the school and take a very proactive role in monitoring and evaluating the quality of work, as shown by a recent scrutiny of writing. They also offer excellent support to families who may be experiencing difficulty. They fulfil their statutory duties very well. The 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Fell Dyke Community Primary School, 13 November 2007 role of governors as a ‘critical friend’ has greatly improved recently, but they do not always receive sufficient information about the standards achieved by pupils at Key Stage 1 to enable

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Grade: 2

them to ask more pertinent questions about pupils’ progress at this stage. The overall capacity for improvement is good. The school gives good value for money.

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Grade: 2

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good and children settle quickly when they start school. They are very well cared for and staff ensure they are safe. Children’s personal and social development and well-being are nurtured exceptionally well. They enjoy their time at school very much. Clear routines and high expectations for behaviour encourage positive attitudes towards learning. Children are well mannered and behaviour is exemplary. They show good levels of independence and confidently interact with adults and their friends. A broad range of interesting experiences and activities engages children in learning. The most effective activities are resourced in a way that encourages sufficient challenge. The immediate environment is often used to enrich the learning. For example, a visit to the local church has helped them to understand the customs and ceremonies of a wedding. Children join the Nursery class with levels of learning that are below and in some cases well

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Grade: 2

below those typical for their age. Planning and assessment generally take account of individual needs and adult-led activities are planned in a way which supports small groups of children effectively. Teaching and support from teaching assistants are good overall. Rates of progress vary across the different areas of learning but children make good progress overall and in most aspects of their personal and social development. However, the progress of pupils in some aspects of communication, language and literacy and mathematics skills are limited. Those children who find learning difficult make good progress because of the good support they receive. Staff use a range of strategies for developing the involvement of parents in their child’s learning. Staff accurately identify aspects of learning where children do not progress as well. However, monitoring of the quality of provision has not yet led to more specific targets for

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve standards and progress in mathematics and English, particularly for higher ability pupils and those at Key Stage 1. ■ Improve the quality of teaching and learning, and ensure that teachers learn from observing each other’s best practice. ■ Monitor the quality of provision in the Foundation Stage using more specific criteria against which improvement can be measured. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Fell Dyke Community Primary School, 13 November 2007 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Fell Dyke Community Primary School, 13 November 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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Fell Dyke Community Primary School, 13 November 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Fell Dyke Community Primary School, 13 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 November 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Fell Dyke Community Primary School, Gateshead, NE9 7AA Thank you for making Mrs Ling and I so welcome when we visited your school. We really enjoyed talking to you and listening to your views. Please thank your parents/carers for returning the questionnaires and tell them that I also listened to their views. I think that Fell Dyke Primary School is a good school and there are also some things which are outstanding. Some of the most impressive things I found were:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your behaviour is excellent and I was delighted to see how polite and courteous you all are

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the care, guidance and support you receive from the staff help you to feel very safe and secure, and also help you to achieve well ■ the wonderful opportunities you are given to learn from visits and visitors which make learning more exciting and interesting for you ■ the wide range of out-of-school clubs which many of you participate in

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the way in which the youngest children in the Nursery and Reception settle in so well and quickly gain confidence in their learning ■ the good leadership and management of Mrs Scott, senior managers and the governors

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the extremely hard work of every member of staff in helping you develop personally and socially. There are some things which could be improved in your school and I have asked Mrs Scott and the governors to ensure that teaching and learning become even better so that you all make as much progress in your learning as you possibly can, particularly those children who are more able. I have also asked for the provision in the Foundation Stage to be monitored carefully. You can help by coming to school every day and making sure that you get to school on time. Mrs Scott, all the staff and governors are very committed to making your school a very special place and they are always trying to make things even better. You are all a credit to your school. I wish you all the very best in the future. Yours sincerely Christine Inkster HMI 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Fell Dyke Community Primary School, 13 November 2007

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