Jarrow Cross CofE Primary School

Jarrow Cross C of E Primary School Inspection report - amended

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133680 Unique Reference Number South Tyneside Local Authority 316191 Inspection number 3 °4 October 2007 Inspection dates Nigel Cromey-Hawke 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 Voluntary controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 197 School The governing body Appropriate authority Father Bill Braviner Chair Mrs Gillian Dorn Headteacher 1 November 2003 Date of previous school inspection Borough Road School address Jarrow Tyne and Wear NE32 5UW 0191 4898354 Telephone number 0191 4309652 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 3 °4 October 2007 Inspection dates 316191 Inspection number

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an average sized school which serves an area of social and economic disadvantage. Almost all pupils are White British with a few of Asian British background. The school roll is falling as the population of central Jarrow declines. The school was formed in 2002 following the amalgamation of St Peters Primary and Ellison CE Junior and Infant schools. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average, although the number with statements of special educational need is below average. The number entitled to free school meals is over twice the national average. Most pupils enter the school with levels of skill lower than that typically expected of their age.

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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: Jarrow Cross C of E Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school that provides a warm and welcoming environment for all its pupils and parents. Its strengths are in the pastoral support it provides for its pupils, strong personal development and in the curriculum. Standards have shown some improvement by the end of Key Stage 2, though within this overall picture, the rate of pupils’ progress is satisfactory but variable. Progress is good at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are below average and have fluctuated over recent years. After an improvement in 2006, standards have dipped slightly in 2007, especially in writing and mathematics. At the end of Key Stage 2, standards are broadly average. The results of the national tests improved in 2007, though remain below average in English. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory progress. Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. Parents are rightly pleased that their

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Grade: 3

children are happy in school and attendance has improved over the last three years to be broadly in line with other schools. Relationships and behaviour are good. Pupils understand how important it is to have a healthy lifestyle and know how to keep themselves safe. Their knowledge and skills when they leave school provide a sound basis for future learning in their lives as young adults. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers have good relationships with the pupils and value their efforts. They plan and resource interesting lessons to capture pupils’ interest and where teaching is more effective, as at the end of Key Stage 2, activities are challenging. However, teachers sometimes do not provide work that challenges all groups of pupils effectively, leading to some pupils losing interest and progress slows. The curriculum is good and is enhanced by additional learning experiences in French and information and communication technology

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Grade: 3

(ICT) through the school’s positive partnership with the neighbouring secondary school. The school clearly cares well for all its pupils, especially in the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Safeguarding procedures are fully in place. Academic guidance is beginning to support learning by increasingly effective use of the tracking information on the pupils’ progress. Whole school and some subject targets are being used but are sometimes insufficiently challenging and not fully explained to pupils, so they do not always know exactly what they are aiming for or how they might achieve them. The social, moral and spiritual aspects of learning are being well promoted to support pupils’ personal development. Work in the community to raise expectations is strong through the school’s involvement in the Jarrow Family scheme. Leadership and management are satisfactory. There have been many changes at senior level

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Grade: 3

and the relatively new senior leadership team are still developing their roles. The school’s self-evaluation reflects a broad understanding of strengths and weaknesses, but it is not yet being used effectively enough in order to plan for, and bring about, sustained improvement. The context of the school has changed significantly since its last inspection, but overall progress on areas identified then has been satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

Children achieve satisfactorily in the Reception class. As a result of sound teaching, they make steady progress from starting points which are lower than those typically found but do not reach the levels expected of their age by the end of the year, especially in calculation and early 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Jarrow Cross C of E Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007 writing skills. Children are eager to learn, but sometimes the match of activity, although often stimulating and interesting, is too difficult so that children need constant adult support to sustain their learning. Their personal, social and physical development benefits from spacious indoor and outdoor facilities. Children are happy and feel secure because they are well cared for by staff and older pupils. The overall provision for the Reception year is satisfactorily led and managed.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that the match of work meets pupils’ needs. ■ Ensure that all pupils know what their learning targets are and how they might reach them.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Sharpen the evaluation of the school’s work so that development planning is focused on the most important priorities to sustain improvement and move the school forward more rapidly. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. From levels which are below those typical for the children’s ages at the start of the Reception year, standards at the end of Year 6 are broadly average. These results are a reflection of the good progress made by the pupils in Years 5 and 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 and by the end of Year 2, standards are below average. Results have fluctuated over recent years and improvements have not always been sustained. The results of the 2006 assessments showed an improvement in reading, writing and mathematics but there was a dip in the 2007 results in writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 6, standards are broadly average. In 2006, the results of the national tests were above average in science, broadly average in mathematics but below average in English. The results in 2007 show an improvement but the more able pupils in particular could do better

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Grade: 3

in English. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall, but it is uneven between subjects. However, the pupils do well in Years 5 and 6 where progress accelerates because of the good teaching. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory progress towards the relevant targets set for them.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school. This is certainly apparent in lessons from their eagerness to learn, and in the rising attendance, which is now broadly average. Pupils generally behave well, get on well together and are considerate around school. Pupils are developing social responsibility effectively. For example, they recycle old clothing to raise funds for the Air Ambulance and older pupils look after younger ones. Year 2 pupils, for instance, help to support Reception children in the playground. Pupils are increasingly adopting a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise, and know how to take care of themselves and others in such areas as road safety. They benefit from many links with the local community. Local clergy lead uplifting assemblies on a weekly basis. Pupils are developing good environmental awareness through a

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Jarrow Cross C of E Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007 new local initiative, ‘Greencheck’. By the time they leave school at the end of Year 6, pupils’ knowledge and skills provide a sound basis for future learning and their lives as young adults.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall with the most effective teaching at the end of Key Stage 2. Teachers generally have a good rapport with pupils and value their efforts. Imaginative use of resources captures the pupils’ interest to extend and consolidate their learning in different contexts. Good use of interactive whiteboards, for example, supported learning well in a mathematics lesson. However, the teaching does not always build effectively upon pupils’ previous learning, sometimes because tasks are either too easy or too difficult. In a minority of lessons, lack of pace and challenge means that some pupils drift off task and the pace of learning slows. Teaching assistants work well with the pupils, especially those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is broad, balanced and meets statutory requirements. Pupils’ learning in French and ICT is enhanced by the good partnership with the local secondary school. Whole school planning is regularly reviewed to ensure that it is generally appropriate. The school has started to modify the curriculum to better meet the needs of all pupils, especially to extend the more able. Awareness of the diversity of cultures around the world is promoted well, with whole-school theme weeks extending pupils’ understanding. The school provides a good range and variety of visits and additional activities that further enrich the curriculum, and is part of the Jarrow Family that provides facilities and curriculum activities to help support healthy lifestyles in the community.

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Grade: 3

The school takes good care of its pupils. Required procedures for safeguarding and safety are in place. Effective links with outside agencies support vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities effectively. Staff provide high quality pastoral care. They take a great interest in their pupils as individuals; this promotes self-esteem and a sense of well-being among all pupils, and is especially beneficial for the most vulnerable pupils. Academic guidance is developing well but is not as effective as it might be. The school has recently introduced a good system for checking on pupils’ progress year on year. This highlights in particular which pupils might be underachieving and in which subjects. Resultant data is beginning to influence teaching through, for example, the setting of learning targets, but these are not always shared with the pupils. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Jarrow Cross C of E Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007

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Grade: 3

The headteacher knows the school well and has successfully managed a number of staff changes, particularly at senior level, over the past two years. She has the confidence of parents who expressed their support in the parents’ questionnaires. The relatively new senior leadership team is developing its role and beginning to influence improvement. Regular monitoring of teaching and learning and of the work in pupils’ books, is helping to build up a picture of strengths and weaknesses in the school’s provision. Target-setting has recently become more robust, but development planning is not yet sufficiently rooted in a sharp analysis of why change is necessary or followed through to the evaluation of impact. Staff and resources are used effectively and the spare space made available by declining pupil numbers has been used creatively. Governance is satisfactory. Key issues from the last inspection have been tackled

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Grade: 3

effectively and the school provides satisfactory value for money. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Jarrow Cross C of E Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Jarrow Cross C of E Primary School, 3 °4 October 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? 3 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

3 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 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?

3 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: Jarrow Cross C of E Primary School, 3 °4 October 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Jarrow Cross C of E Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

5 October 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Jarrow Cross CofE Primary School, South Tyneside, NE32 5UW As you know, inspectors visited your school recently. Thank you all for helping us and making us feel so welcome. We enjoyed meeting you and were very interested to hear about the things you do and what you think about your school. You told us that you enjoy learning, you like your teachers and your school, and that you feel happy and safe when you are there. Here are some of the other things we found out from our visit:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your teachers and other adults in the school care for you and look after you well

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you know how important it is to have healthy lifestyles and to keep yourself safe

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ there are good links with your local secondary school so you have opportunities to learn French and use information and communication technology ■ you are making satisfactory progress and sometimes it is good, especially in Years 5 and 6.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

To make your school better in the future the priorities are to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure you all make better progress all of the time

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ share learning targets with you so that you know what you are aiming for and how to get there ■ check that the hard work which goes into making your school better is making a real difference. You can all help by continuing to behave well and enjoying going to school, learning as much as you can and being proud of what you achieve. Thank you again for being so helpful. Best wishes Nigel Cromey-Hawke Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Jarrow Cross C of E Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007

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